Second Chances Won't Leave us Alone
by Fairytailanimefan
Summary: SEQUEL TO WHERE WE BELONG. She had lost all hope for any sort of reunion between them. Almost six months had gone by without any sign of him. And she was past the mourning stage. She was angry. Angry that he'd abandoned her without a second thought. She was angry that she wasted so much time on him, fought with him, and then he had the audacity to decide she wasn't worth it.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Chain**

"That concludes my press conference. Thank you for your time." Donatella nodded towards the crowd of reporters. She walked off the stage, escorted by a member of Stark's security detail, and climbed into a limousine, also a part of Stark's security.

"There she is, the woman that cured cancer!" Tony whooped, popping open a bottle of champagne and pouring it into two glasses. She thanked him, taking her own glass and swirling the golden liquid inside, watching the bubbles stream to the top with disinterest.

"It's not a cure, Tony. It's a treatment." she sighed, taking a sip, relishing in the sweet flavor.

"A treatment with zero side effects and a 99% effectiveness rate." he raised his glass in a mock toast before downing the flute in one go. "I'd say it's a cure."

"It's 98.6% actually, please don't flub the numbers." she corrected him as he poured another glass.

"Tomato tomato." Tony waved her corrections off. "Might I add, I love the new look. That orangey-copper is a good color on you." he motioned towards her new hair. She'd gotten it cut into a new style, parted down the middle with some curtain bangs, the ends going just past her collarbones and curling slightly. Plus, obviously, the new color.

"I figured I needed a change." she sighed, leaning back. She had let the stylist do what she wanted, within reason of course, as long as it was kept appropriate for business.

"I'm really getting a Daphne from Scooby-Doo vibe." he mentioned with a grin, glancing down at her monochrome lavender dress suit. She frowned at the color, reminiscing about the last time her shirt had been so lilac. Bucharest with Buck.

"Jeepers." she muttered sarcastically, taking another swig of her champagne. "I'll really miss this banter while I'm in Wakanda." she smiled at him.

"I can't believe you're ditching me for that furry. It wounds me. And Peter too, you know." he pouted, pouring more into their glasses.

"I'm not ditching you! I'll be gone for two months, max." she rolled her eyes. He sighed, raising his glass again.

"To your new super secret project." he frowned.

"I wish I knew what I agreed to." she laughed, clinking her champagne flute against his.

"I still can't believe you said yes to that crazy proposal." Tony sighed, shaking his head at her. "They wouldn't even tell you anything about what you were going to do there."

"I'm okay with that." she shrugged. "It's better than sitting here, torturing myself because of…" she trailed off, staring back into her glass.

"Listen." Tony leaned forwards, putting his hand on her knee comfortingly. "The man has obviously made his choice. Same as Steve. If he doesn't think you're worth coming back for, then forget about him. He doesn't deserve you." she swallowed, hard.

"I know, Tony." she replied quietly. "I know." he had walked in on her sobbing far too many times to want to support her and Bucky anymore. She had lost all hope for any sort of reunion between them. Almost six months had gone by without any sign of him. And she was past the mourning stage. She was angry. Angry that he'd abandoned her without a second thought. She was angry that she wasted so much goddamn time on him, fought with him, and then he had the audacity to decide she wasn't worth it. What happened to being in this together? Apparently once he got what he needed from her, that sentiment flew out the window. She didn't expect him to choose between her and Steve. But for fucks sake, she wasn't even a blip on his radar. Not even an after-thought. And she swore if she never saw him again it'd be too soon. She needed to stop her track record of bad breakups.

"The kid is waiting for you back at the compound. He's insisted on seeing you off." Tony checked his phone as the limo approached the maximum security gates.

"He'd better not cry." she grumbled, reaching for her door handle as they pulled into the parking garage.

"Donnie!" she heard a shout as she stepped out, a figure speeding up to meet her in a hug. "Do you have to go?" the kid was taller than he had been the first time they'd met, his head over the top of hers by at least a full inch now.

"I mean, yeah. Wouldn't you kill for this opportunity, kid?" she asked, patting him on the back.

"You're right, I would. Instead of going by yourself, take me with you? Please?" he pulled back, clutching his hands like he was praying.

"Peter, I'd love to have my number one assistant with me, but I kind of wasn't allowed to bring anyone." she shrugged, stepping backwards and smoothing her suit out.

"You can smuggle me." he offered.

"Kid, you have school." She reminded him. "I need you to actually graduate so you can work with me at Stark industries, remember? I thought we had big plans for that."

"Yeah, yeah, okay Donnie. Whatever you say." He rolled his eyes, stepping forward to wrap her in another hug. "Just FaceTime me every day, okay?"

"Of course. Tell May I say hi. And let me know if you need anything. Anything at all, okay? I'll even let you throw a rager at my house as long as you help Janita clean up. Actually, no please don't go to any raging parties. It's not worth it, you'll regret it!" She called out behind her as she headed towards the quinjet that would take her to Wakanda.

"Listen to her kid, she knows what's best for you!" She heard Tony laugh, and an annoyed whine from Peter was the last thing she heard before she got too close to the engines of the jet, successfully blocking any more noise. She turned, waving at the two men who had become huge pieces of her life over the past few months, her heart sinking as she realized she wouldn't see them for the foreseeable future.

"Goodbye!" she shouted, hoping her words reached them. She saw them waving, Peter jumping while flapping both arms around, their mouths moving with their goodbyes. She climbed inside the jet, sighing to herself as she pulled her phone from her pocket. No messages. She had drifted apart from Karina after her disappearance and subsequent house arrest, which was really not a surprise. What was more surprising was that she hadn't received a text back from Pepper, whom she had been helping out with wedding dress shopping. The engagement between Tony and Pepper was to be a long one, but the women had been bouncing ideas off each other in preparation for the important event. It was nice to have a female friend that she didn't have to keep secrets from.

Once she was in her seat, strapped down tightly, the pilot took off, letting her know it would be around five hours before they landed in Wakanda. The speed that the quinjet could go at was much faster than commercial flights, which she was very grateful for. It would be hard to spend ten hours in the sky alone. And she really was alone, she realized. Nobody was around her. She no longer had Bucky. Sure, she constantly thought of him. Her heart ached at her memories of the time they shared together. When they first met. Of course, it was different then, they hadn't been so…

She would say close for lack of a better word. After that, it was hard to imagine life without him. Especially after they'd gotten together. But none of that… none of it was really _real_. She was sure that if they hadn't been isolated, if they had known each other in any other situation, then they would not have been together. Probably wouldn't have glanced at each other twice. But there was something… real, very real that she couldn't deny transpired between them. It was a true dependence, a true sense of love and trust. She'd gone through hell for him, and he left her stranded. What kind of person did that? Said they loved someone and then forgot about them. Was it possible he'd played her? That he'd… he'd just planned the whole thing to use her?

It hurt, but it was possible. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath. It hurt, it really hurt to think that he'd done that to her, but it could be true. He was an assassin, nothing that transpired between them could have been legitimate. He knew how to keep deep cover. He knew how to get what he wanted, how to get people to trust him. And she trusted him so much, so deeply, so irrevocably so that she still doubted he could do something like that to her. But she had to _move on_. It was the only way to survive. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. That would be something Bucky would say. Use others before they can use you. She pursed her lips, sniffling as she realized she was tearing up. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to diminish the tears as to not ruin her makeup. It would be nice to look at least presentable for her first visit to Wakanda.

A nervous feeling fluttered deep in her stomach. She was about to work on a top secret project with the princess of Wakanda. What if Princess Shuri despised her after meeting her? She was really nothing special. She bit her lip, looking down into her purse to check to see if her pink lipstick was inside. It was. She pulled the tube out with shaking hands, using a pocket mirror to apply the color to her pale lips. She pressed them together, checking herself in the mirror before glancing down at her watch. She'd spent two hours lost in her thoughts. Only three to go. She glanced down at her reflection again, smoothing her hair, checking to make sure her eyebrows were in place. She was as good as she'd ever get. When she noticed that there was a small screen, she boredly unlocked it, excited to realize there were dumb, time-wasting games on it that would keep her mind occupied.

After many, many levels of Candy Crush later, the pilot's voice crackled to life through the speakers.

"We will be descending in fifteen minutes. King T'Challa and Princess Shuri will meet you in the courtyard." he announced, and she took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. Seeing T'Challa again would be awkward, it was hard to get over the fact that he wanted to kill her boyfriend… _ex_-boyfriend. It hurt to remind herself of that fact. And meeting Shuri for the first time would be nerve wracking. The woman was a genius, young and intelligent, much like Tony Stark to the extreme. When the jet touched the ground she sucked in a breath nervously. She stood, gripping her purse tightly in both hands as the hatch opened, revealing the stylish footwear of two people waiting for her in the courtyard. She stepped out, her purple pumps clacking across the metal of the hatch.

"Dr. Belucci!" King T'Challa's voice rang out as he stepped forward to greet her.

"Your highnesses." She nodded her head, hoping to show the proper respect.

"Please, call me Shuri." The girl stepped forwards, her hair pulled back into a sensible, yet stylish coif. "It's a pleasure to meet you Doctor, I'm very impressed with your work."

"Thank you, Shuri. You can call me Don." She held out a hand to shake the girl's. She was younger, not by a whole lot, but she was still a girl in her eyes.

"Now that we've all become acquainted, I feel as if I should show you our workspace. Your rooms will be located in the palace for the time being, your things have already been taken there." Shuri explained, leading her towards a grand entrance that somehow dwarfed the surrounding trees. "We will be working underground in the heart of the lab." She explained as she veered towards an elevator.

"How many labs are there in the palace?" She asked the princess, glancing around at the gleaming interior of the palace. She didn't get much of a look as she had to get in the elevator, but she was extremely impressed.

"The main laboratory is underground, but our observatory, medical lab, training grounds, and experimental wing are all located in this area. I will have an escort give you a full tour in due time, but for now we will just need to show you a few key areas." Shuri explained, the elevator doors opening. Donatella stepped out and gasped, staring up at her high tech surroundings.

"Oh wow, this puts Starks labs to shame." She murmured, stepping towards a table to hesitantly glance over the digital plans for some sort of weapon. She frowned. "Am I to be working on weaponry? I feel as if I'm not the best person for that sort of job…" she trailed off as Shuri moved ahead.

"Working with weapons would be a waste of your talents. No, we are working on artificial limb implants and paralysis treatment using vibranium. We have some plans started for artificial hearts, but there is one special project we would like to go over with you tomorrow." Shuri called as she walked through a pair of sliding glass doors.

"Artificial hearts? That's ambitious." She replied as she followed the princess.

"Ambition is the key to creating success. We will not wait around for advancements. We seek it out." Shuri smiles at her.

"I respect that, Shuri." Donatella laughed as she approached a wall filled with plans, seemingly for the artificial hearts. "This is amazing. Vibranium is precious in more ways than one, it seems. No other element could perform this way in the body without risk of rejection." She felt awe shine in her voice, and felt slightly embarrassed.

"Now that you have seen the most important part of the palace, I have something to show you. This may be even more important to you." Shuri smiled coyly, leading her back to the elevator.

"Even more important?" Don echoed. Shuri just smiled back, not disclosing any more information. She frowned, following the princess as she led her back out of the palace. "Where are we going?" She asked as they approached a small lake, or river? Donatella wasn't sure, she couldn't see the end of it. It was quite beautiful, she had to admit. The sun was beginning to go down, casting rich red and orange hues over the lush landscape. She glanced at her reflection in the water, and the golden glow from the sun was causing her hair to gleam like bright copper. The new color was quite pretty, she had to admit.

"Come this way, I would like to show you someone." Shuri tugged her arm, bringing her close to a small hut near the edge of the water. Birds chirped nearby, a few buzzing gnats making a noise but they didn't come near enough to bother her.

"Who is it?" She began to feel dread pooling in her stomach. Some person who needed medical attention? She wasn't sure what to expect, and she'd only known the princess for a few minutes.

"You'll see. Wait right here." She grinned, planting her just outside the hut. She sat there, fidgeting with the strap on her purse and nibbling on her lip. It really was quite beautiful out here. The temperature was perfect, only a touch too warm as it neared nighttime. She heard rustling inside the hut, murmuring voices before Shuri appeared, a shadowed figure behind her. "Come on out, Mr. White Wolf." She grinned, stepping aside to reveal…

"Donatella." Bucky breathed. Her breath stuttered in her throat and she swore her heart stopped for a minute. She looked over him. He was wearing a red sort of robe with a tied neck, exposing one golden muscled arm while covering the other. She realized with a jolt that his metal arm was missing. She was slightly dazed for only a moment longer, until he said her name again and stepped towards her. He looked absolutely glorious, her heart wrenched at the sight of his face. He looked healthy, happy, his eyes lit up at her...

She balled up her fist, reeling back and punching him in the jaw. _Hard_.

"Eat shit!" She snarled, whirling on her heel and pushing past Shuri, rushing past the way she came. Her blood was boiling as she stomped over the beaten dirt path. She heard footsteps approaching behind her, and she clenched her fists.

"Donnie, what are you-" Shuri asked, confusion and worry clear in her tone.

"Did you seriously bring me here to work with that bastard?" She spat, not slowing down.

"I-I don't understand, Mr. Barnes explained to me that you two were-"

"We were what? Together? Before he abandoned me for months without even letting me know he was alive?" Donatella finally stopped, turning to face the princess. "If I'd have known that you wanted me to come here to fix him I'd have told you to find someone else."

"I did not realize that the two of you had parted on bad terms. The way Bucky had explained it to me was that he had to leave you behind with Mr. Stark. Was that inaccurate?" Confusion shone clearly on her chiseled face, and Donatella felt a little bad for causing her to be in the middle of this.

"He had to leave. I got that. And when he never came back, I got that too. I don't have time for people who refuse to acknowledge that I deserve more than complete abandonment. And you can quote me on that." Donatella sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "I-I need to go lie down. I don't know where my room is…" she felt her eyes welling up with tears again.

"I am so sorry, Donatella. I honestly thought it would be a good surprise for you…" the girl looked defeated.

"It's fine, princess, I just… this is a lot." She sniffled, her voice cracking embarrassingly. Shuri waved over a member of the Dora Milaje, speaking to her quickly with a nod.

"I will come and retrieve you personally tomorrow morning to begin our work. I cannot apologize enough for this situation. I hope you can forgive me." Shuri spoke sincerely, and the soldier glanced between the two women with confusion.

"It's okay, I'll be okay. I will see you tomorrow." Donatella nodded to the woman, and Shuri spoke once more to the spear-wielding woman before walking back outside.

"This way, Doctor Belucci." The woman nodded to her. She followed her to the elevator, which brought her up two floors before stopping. They got out and headed towards the end of the hall, and the woman stopped in front of a door. "This is your room. Your dinner will be sent up in a few minutes. Have a good night." Donatella thanked the woman before pushing open the door. It was gorgeous inside, but she didn't have time to admire the buttery yellow walls and clay colored furniture. She collapsed into an armchair in a small seating area of the room, gripping the leather armrests tightly. He had been fucking _here_ the whole time. T'Challa _knew _where he was and neglected to even mention that the man she had loved was alright? She was pissed. No, not pissed, she was irate. What the fuck did he think was going to happen when she found out he was alive? She would let him swoop her feet and everything would be perfect? There was a knock on the door, and she stood up quickly, heading over to it to let the person in.

"Donatella." Shuri stood on the other side.

"Princess, I thought you said you'd come back tomorrow?" She asked. The girl pushed her way inside, holding a tray of food. She brought it over to the table and set it down before taking a seat. Seemed she was making herself at home.

"I thought you might like someone to talk to. I feel terrible about the situation." Shuri sighed, leaning down to pick up a bowl of some sort of rice dish. It had chicken and vegetables and looked mouth wateringly delicious.

"Thank you, I kind of do. I don't want to intrude on your time, though, you don't have to listen to me vent." She chuckled dryly.

"I'd like to hear your side of the story. So far all I have is the White Wolf's experience, and he really wanted you to come here from what he told me. But now you're here and you want nothing to do with him." Shuri began eating, and Don hesitated before sitting across from her, picking up her own food. "So tell me what happened?"

"Well, we were kind of in a face-off with the avengers-"

"No. I want to know everything that happened between you two." Shuri cut her off. Donatella blinked, slowly chewing.

"Okay. Well, I was still a student at the time…" she began her story, telling Shuri about how they'd first met, how they lived together for awhile before escaping to Bucharest. She told her about how she realized she'd loved him before they even kissed the first time. She skimmed over the details of their sexscapades, not going too deep into that but letting her know that it had happened. The girl wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she told her about it, and she rolled her eyes with a flush before continuing. She told her about trying to escape Bucharest. She told her about her run in with the Winter Soldier, and how he'd actually _recognized_ her. It hurt to talk about that. But it was important to her, she realized. It was important that even if everything had been fake there was _something_ real that bloomed between them.

"And then at the airport, when he and Steve escaped?" Shuri asked as she trailed off.

"I told them to go. They had to go finish what the doctor started. There was no time." She laughed hollowly. "But I told him to come back to me. I _told_ him to. I didn't ask. And he disappeared off the face of the earth, if I didn't know any better I'd have thought he was dead. But Tony knew he was alive. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew that he was somewhere hiding out."

"I'm sorry." Shuri replied quietly, putting her empty dish on the table.

"The thing is, I feel like I don't have the right to be mad. He was my person, yes of course, but I should be used to getting left behind. I should just stop loving people, it doesn't seem to work out well for me." She spat bitterly. Shuri leaned forwards with a sigh.

"I don't think Bucky meant to abandon you." The princess looked serious. She sighed, leaning back and gripping the armrests again.

"Whether or not he meant to, he tossed me aside. It's hard not to feel used when the person won't make the same effort to find you as you are with them. Hell, he didn't even have to _make_ an effort to find me. I wasn't exactly hiding out. My life has been more public than ever!" She exploded, standing and pacing the room. "The fact is that Bucky didn't even try. And I don't think I can forgive him for that." Her voice broke again. It was embarrassing how worked up she'd become over this.

"I understand." Shuri stood, smoothing her clothes down as she approached Don. "But I believe you should at least talk to him before you make that decision."

"I don't know if I can." She whispered. "I'm not strong enough to face him down after this." She shook her head.

"I don't know much about you, but I think you are strong. You're intelligent and you follow your heart. That is important." Shuri smiled at her.

"Thank you." Donatella smiled as the girl squeezed her hand.

"Tomorrow we will be in the lab. Hopefully it will help you to clear your head." The girl mentioned as she headed back towards the door. "Make sure to get some rest. You will need it." She nodded back to the princess as she left, shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked at the walk-in closet, where apparently all of her clothes had already been unpacked for her.

She glanced at the bed, noticing there was a nightgown waiting for her. Maybe she'd wear that instead of the cotton t-shirt and shorts she brought. Reaching over to pick it up, she almost moaned at the feeling of silk under her fingers. The fabric was glistening white and light, and she greedily stripped out of her suit and let the fabric settle over her. It felt heavenly. She sighed as she slid into bed, the sheets similar to the nightgown.

She could get used to this.

**Thanks so much for everyone who liked the first part of this story so much! Here's the first chapter of part two, and I just want to say that the journey so far has been awesome writing this and coming up with the plot. There's around ten chapters to part two, and I'll be updating this about every third day! Don't forget to favorite this story so you get emails for when I update!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Heartbreaker**

"I'm so lucky to be with you." Bucky smiled at her, slowly trailing his hands up her sides. They were slow dancing in the middle of their rundown apartment in Bucharest. Bing Crosby's voice crooned from an old record playing in the corner, causing her to melt closer into his embrace. His dark hair, clear eyes, and strong features flooded her vision as she looked up at him.

"I think I'm the lucky one." she teased, stretching up to press her lips against his. Her stomach filled with butterflies, her heart aching with emotion for the man. She really loved him. There was no doubt about it. He may not have the same strong feelings for her as she did for him, but what he gave her was more than enough. He deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips as he pulled her tight to his chest. The quiet air around them was warm, her spine tingling with the slow, soft music. He gently nudged her towards the bed in the dark room, hazy warm light emitted from a lamp in the kitchen. She pulled away to admire him again. He looked perfect. She felt perfect. This was it for her, if she died now she would have no regrets.

"You make me happy." he admitted, squeezing her hips and guiding her down to the mattress. His eyes glimmered in the low light. "I never thought I could be happy again."

"Bucky, I lo-" her words were cut off as she jolted awake. Her alarm blared next to her head, and she shut it off quickly, sitting up and pushing her hair from her face. She felt a hazy warmth coursing through her and she cursed dream Bucky for riling her up.

A fucking _dream_. She snarled, tearing herself out of bed and stomping over to the bathroom. She stripped her nightgown off, wanting to wash the memory of his touch away immediately. She wouldn't allow her fragile heart to shatter again from a _dream_. She had just barely recovered from the first time.

She stepped into the spray, the warm water pounding over the top of her head with extreme pressure. The roaring noise drowned out any thoughts and beat against her shoulders, relaxing her tense muscles. Once she had thoroughly cleaned herself with the heady soaps provided for her, she managed to dry herself off and style her hair with a straightening iron she'd brought. Once she had on a small amount of makeup, she felt satisfied enough with her appearance. She tiptoed into her closet, humming as she picked out a pair of olive green dress pants and a white blouse. She draped the matching blazer over her shoulders, then slipped on a pair of black dress pumps. As she smoothed her hair in the mirror there was a knock on the door before it opened, Shuri letting herself in.

"Good morning Dr. Belucci!" She called, a bright smile on her face.

"Morning Shuri." She greeted, crossing the room to meet her. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, and yourself?" She asked, leading her down the hall and towards the elevator.

"As good as I expected to in these circumstances." Donatella sighed.

"I'm sorry, is there something wrong with your bed? I can get that fixed for you." Shuri frowned at her as they made their way into the lab.

"No, no, everything's perfect. It's just ghosts that are knocking around my brain right now, disrupting my sleep." She chuckled hollowly.

"Ah. I understand." Shuri gave a sad smile. "Past loves are difficult to overcome."

"I don't mean to beat a dead horse, let's talk about something else." she fell into step beside her as they approached some sort of drafting table. "What are we working on here?" she asked.

"I'm not sure you'll be able to use this subject to help you forget the other one." Shuri grimaced. "We have been primarily designing a new prosthetic arm for Sergeant Barnes." Donatella sighed.

"It's a welcome challenge." she gave a weak smile. "What exactly happened to the old one?" she asked.

"It was destroyed by Tony Stark. Captain Rogers escorted him here, and my brother agreed to help Sergeant Barnes out." Shuri explained. She winced, biting her lip as she weighed his decision.

"So he's just been in that hut ever since?" she asked. Shuri sighed as she brought up a three-dimensional projection of a new and improved metal arm, small notes connecting to specific parts.

"Not exactly. Sergeant Barnes requested cryogenic treatment until we were able to release him from the brainwashing done to him by HYDRA." startled, Donatella stumbled backwards to look at the princess. She was avoiding eye-contact with the woman. His brainwashing, most of his life had been spent under the influence of the soldier, and he was free now?

"He's no longer the Winter Soldier?" she asked, looking back up at the arm. There was a beat of silence before Shuri spoke again.

"We have found a way to get the Winter Soldier out of his head. But, the process will be brutal, uncomfortable and maybe traumatizing. We wanted to have some people he knew here, people he was familiar with… So we sought you out, as well as Captain Rogers." Shuri explained. "Captain Rogers agreed to come, but now that you are unable to… help him through this, he will be the only one that is a part of that treatment."

"I'm sorry." Don replied quietly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she peered closer at a few notes about nerve damage. "I don't mean to be difficult. I just… I can't put my life on hold for him again."

"I understand perfectly, Dr. Belucci." Shuri placed a hand on the woman's shoulder comfortingly. "I would never expect you to be a part of this at this point in time." her dark eyes glimmered with understanding.

"Do you…. Never mind." Don shook her head, jotting a note down on the drafting table, watching as it inserted itself into the hologram.

"What is it, Donatella?" Shuri asked.

"I'm just wondering…" she paused, using her fingers to turn the projection to the opposite side. "Do you think I'm being selfish? For not… wanting to be a part of that?" she finished quietly. Shuri was silent for a moment as she made her own notes, still not meeting her eyes.

"Maybe a little. But I've only known you for a day." she grinned slightly. "You don't know the whole story either…" she trailed off, glancing over at Donnie.

"Well, there really wasn't anybody to tell me." Don replied coolly.

"I think you should speak to Steve before you talk with Bucky. Captain Rogers should be arriving before dinner tonight, I can arrange for you two to meet as soon as he gets here." Shuri offered, closing the projection before heading over to a computer.

"I have a question before I talk to anyone else about this." Don interrupted her before she could do anything on the computer. Shuri paused, turning to face her.

"Yes, what is it?" the girl prompted her. Donatella frowned, taking a shaky breath in.

"How long was he on ice?" she asked quietly. Shuri's eyes widened, then narrowed as she thought over the question.

"Well, we only took Sergeant Barnes out of cryo once we had a solution to his problems. That was three weeks ago." Donatella sucked in a breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She'd been missing him for months, and he had only been conscious for a few _weeks_? Shit. He barely had any time to miss her, go through what she had. They were on polar opposites of this spectrum of loving and loathing. Was this fair to him? No. He went under with the full intention of not seeing her until his head was on straight. How the hell could he do that to her? He had no idea how long it would take. Or did he?

"Did you tell him how long it would take you to solve the problem?" she asked Shuri, nearly pleading with her tone. Shuri glanced up, pity in her eyes as she looked at the woman. Don swallowed the panic in her throat.

"We told him it could take anywhere from a month to nearly a year. I overestimated our technology, and told him there was a chance it would only take us two months. We had to double that time to find a way around him losing all of his memories." she explained, turning to type something into the computer.

"So he knew there was a chance he'd be out of commission for almost a year and he still didn't think to call me? Send me a letter? Carrier pigeon? _Anything_?" she scoffed. Shuri's eyes flashed with worry as she stepped towards the woman.

"I think Sergeant Barnes was hopeful we would fix the issue much faster than we did." Shuri defended him, and Donatella tried to cool off, knowing that this woman was not in the middle of the issues between her and Bucky.

"I just don't know _why_ he decided to put me through my own personal hell like this." she laughed bitterly, leaning over the table and gripping the edge tightly. "I'm sorry, Shuri, I think we should get to work. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Sorry for sidetracking us."

"It was no problem. I enjoy having someone else in here with me, and we managed to make some good progress on tweaking the arm." she came back over, pushing a button that brought the projection back up. "Have you given any thought to using your Bridge technology in order to continue his neural responses to moving the arm?"

"We would have to build the arm with that same transmitter all the way through, but I do believe it is possible." she frowned, going through the schematics in her head. "Do you think the arm looks a bit slim on this to match the other?" she squinted. "Bucky is a lot bigger than this looks…"

"We will take exact measurements closer to the time we build the arm." Shuri waved off her concern. "I'm glad you noticed, though."

"It's hard to forget." Donatella replied absent-mindedly. "What about the star?" she asked, uneasy at the thought of the familiar red metal not being there.

"That's a… Soviet symbol. We have decided to not use a mark with such… negative meaning behind it." Shuri mentioned as she spun the projection, pointing out the spot where it would have been.

"Oh. Right, right. I guess I'm just used to it." she had an image of that red flashing above her head as he propped himself on top of her. She shook her head, blinking the memory away.

"If you need a break to gather your thoughts, we can do that." Shuri offered.

"No! No." she did not need a moment alone with her intrusive memories. She just needed to bury herself in her work, like she'd been doing since she realized Bucky wasn't going to be coming back for her. That was what had gotten her through the past few months, and it would help her get through the next few. "Here, could you come here and brainstorm with me? I had an idea about using vibranium in the Bridge." she ended up working completely through lunch with Shuri, and T'Challa had someone bring food to them so they wouldn't starve from skipping two meals. After they ate, chatting about improvements on their plans so far the whole time, they made good on their plans, creating a rough outline layer by layer throughout the arm. There was no wasted space, every empty spot was filled with something useful. Extra sensory panels here, a touch more grip plates there and so on.

"Sister. Captain Rogers has arrived." T'Challa's voice spoke through Shuri's wristband. The two managed to set aside their work in order to go back up to the main level.

"When do you plan to start the treatment?" the two could hear Steve before they entered the main hall, where he and T'Challa were speaking.

"Within the week. Shuri and a small team will be working personally with him. We plan for it to only take four days to complete it." T'Challa replied, flashing a handsome grin over Steve's shoulders to Shuri and Donatella. "Ah, here they are."

"Good to see you again, Captain." Shuri nodded to the man. He was a bit scruffier than she'd last seen him, a thick beard covering his features, his hair a bit longer than she had seen him with before.

"Donnie, I didn't realize you had arrived already." he greeted them with a smile.

"Yes, well, I've come here to work." she replied uncomfortably. "Uh, Steve, I was wondering… could I talk to you soon? I just…"

"My brother and I will make ourselves scarce for a bit. Please come and join us for dinner in the main dining room once you have finished speaking." Shuri all but dragged her brother out, who looked confused and alarmed at the sudden shift of groups. Steve's eyes shone with concern as he saw her crestfallen expression.

"What happened?" he asked, stepping forward to place a comforting hand on her arm.

"I need to know why." she replied quietly, wringing her hands together. "I thought… I didn't even know where he was until I got here. And he thinks we can pick things back up where we left off…" she sniffled, rubbing her temples as an ache started. "I'm just so _lost_ here, Steve. I know we don't know each other that well… But I just need to know."

"What are you talking about?" he seemed even more lost than she did.

"Bucky. He just left me in New York for half a year? Remember?" she explained, waving a hand nonchalantly in the air. "I'm really pissed at him. I saw him yesterday and punched him."

"You punched him?" Steve's eyebrows raised. "Why?"

"I got angry. I socked him and ran off. Haven't seen him since. Pretty much cried myself to sleep. Shuri said I should talk to you before I have another episode around him." she replied dryly, shutting her emotions down in order to talk with him without bawling.

"I… well, Bucky was…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair, his expression sober. "We finished up in Siberia, and his arm was completely destroyed. He was weak, I practically had to drag him back to the jet…" he frowned. "We made it here. He wanted to come here."

"So he came here without a second thought to me. Great, this is going well." she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"No, he wished he could come and get you… talk to you… he _wanted_ you here." Steve stepped forwards again, blue eyes glinting with guilt. "But he knew that… that his head wasn't right. He was low. He felt like if he saw you again when he was like that you'd…"

"I'd what?" she was genuinely confused again. Steve frowned, glancing down at his shoes.

"He thought that you would think he was some sort of monster. Tony… found out…" he struggled to get the words out.

"Tony's parents were killed by the Winter Soldier. I know." she all but snapped at him. "Why did he think that would affect me?"

"That's not… Tony's parents weren't the only people we found out about at the base." Steve shook his head.

"What are you talking about?" she all but demanded, stepping closer.

"Zemo… had rigged up something to show us while we were there. We saw Tony's parents…" he trailed off. "And then we saw yours."

"My… parents?" she frowned. "Saw them… oh." she gasped with realization. Some feeling flowed through her, was it horror? Fear? No, it was… none of those. It was relief. Relief? How the fuck did she feel relieved by that? She remembered a conversation she'd had, long ago with Bucky.

"_It's hard to miss people who were never there in the first place." her voice wavered. His eyes cut through her again, and she swore she could feel those irises staring straight into her soul. This time when he spoke, it was directly to her._

"_They probably got taken out by someone like me."_

He must have known, once he found out who they were. But… now she knew too. And she was _relieved_. Relieved that she never had to wonder about them again, wonder if they'd ever come back… more recently, wonder if they'd try and get Bucky again. God, was it pathetic that she still cared more about him than her parents?

"Donnie? Are you okay?" Steve frowned, placing his arms around her in a tentative hug.

"I'm fine." she sniffled, horrified to realize that tears were streaming down her face. She must have been overcome by shock for a moment. Her parents were dead, and she felt a huge burden lift that she hadn't even noticed was there. "They were terrible people, they hurt Bucky, they experimented on my person, they abandoned me when I was a child…" she pulled back from the awkward embrace. "I kinda feel relieved. I never have to worry about them coming back again."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as she wiped her tears off.

"Steve. They may have been my parents, but they aren't my family." she shook her head. Peter was her family. Janita. Tony. Pepper now, too. Maybe even Clint. And, even if she hated to admit it, Bucky was still a large part of her, no matter what. Even if she hated him, there was a piece of her that still held feelings for him. Why couldn't life be simpler?

"I'm sorry." he frowned again, patting her on the shoulder. They really didn't know each other that well, she realized. And they were supposed to be the two most important people to Bucky? This was why things didn't work out for them… there was just too much that they didn't share.

"We should go to dinner. Let me just run to the bathroom really quickly to freshen up." She backed away, motioning towards the dining room. He nodded, turning hesitantly before spinning back to face her.

"Give him another chance. Please." His voice was soft, dropping in the stillness between them.

"I'm not going to make any promises. He dug himself this hole, I'm not going to pull him out of it." She shook her head, walking away. She used the facilities and washed her shaking hands, drying them on a plush white cloth. Her breath stuttered as she glanced over her reflection. Sunken bags under her eyes, pale white skin, garish hair… god, she looked like a clown. She smoothed any frizz, patted some cold water to help soothe the darkness. She was a shell of herself, torn to pieces. She had raw edges, swore her bones were exposed… she couldn't hide the despair in her eyes, her weakness. All she could do was play pretend. Her crumpled expression lifted into a smile, her dull eyes brightening with effort. Fake it til you make it.

"Dr. Belucci, my sister has told me much about your advancements today. I am very impressed yet again by your intellect." T'Challa called out to her as she entered the gleaming dining room. It was huge, had a large table and fine china. She found the sight gorgeous, comforting, familiar to dinner parties from when she was younger.

"Yes, I think we got good work done." She smiled at Shuri, shoving her dark thoughts back into the recesses of her mind. Steve glanced at her warily as she took a seat across from him, and the odd group made small talk throughout the meal. "Oh, before I forget, Shuri are there any blocks on my phone that I won't be able to call Tony and Peter?" She asked. Steve flinched when she said Tony's name, and she made a mental note to ask him why he hadn't gone back yet.

"No, everything should work fine for you." Shuri replied as Donatella scooted out from the table.

"Thank you. I should call them now before it gets too late, thank you for the meal your highnesses. I'll see you all tomorrow." She nodded, giving a small smile to Steve as he waved to her. Her heels clicked loudly in the empty hallways as she made her way to the elevator, clicking her floor button and making it to her room in record time. She sighed, kicking off the pinchy shoes as she pulled out her computer, setting up to call Peter. She hoped he wasn't busy.

"Donnie!" His cute little face appeared on her screen, and her exhaustion and worry melted away as she grinned genuinely at him.

"Hey, how's my little spidey doing today?" She laughed as he jumped back onto his bed, holding the phone above his head.

"Oh it was super great today, after school I stopped a robbery and I left the guys all tied up in the vault and I got to save a bunch of people, it was totally awesome!" He gushed, going into explicit detail of how he'd beaten the bad guys up. She smiled, feeling herself relax for possibly the first time since she'd gotten to Wakanda.

"That sounds great Peter, did you see the old man today?" She asked, and he laughed at her nickname for Tony.

"No, he ended up having to do some business with Pepper and they flew out this morning. They should be back by tonight. I told him to let me know so we can call you together soon." He grinned, sitting up. "Oh, I almost forgot! Me and Ned got this LEGO Death Star that we are gonna start putting together, it looks so awesome on the box but I'm sure it'll take forever. Hopefully it'll be done by the time you get home." Her smile softened. Home. She had to admit that her new apartment near Stark Industries was her home now, just a few blocks from Peter's home. She'd gone over countless times for dinner with him and May, and although it was difficult to keep up the charade of Peter's internship, he was like a younger brother to her. "How are you doing?"

"It's… difficult here. I'm…" she cleared her throat. "Yesterday I found out why I was brought here." She but her lip, curling her legs up to her chest, most likely wrinkling her suit.

"I thought it was to work in the labs?" He asked, curiosity shining in his eyes. When she hesitated in answering his expression filled with worry. "Donnie what's wrong?" He was alarmed as tears filled her eyes.

"He's here." Her voice crackled. "Bucky is here. They brought me in to help him, they've found a way to take the Winter Soldier programming out of his head, and I'm here to make him a new arm." She smiled shakily as tears dripped down her face once again.

"Oh no, is everything okay? I can get Mr. Stark to send me down there if you need me, I swear I'll be there as soon as I can." He rambled, concern dropping from his voice. She chuckled weakly and wiped her eyes.

"It's fine, Peter, it's just a big shock is all. I'll be okay. Besides, it's a relief to know I can get some answers." She sighed. He still frowned, not happy with her answer. "Besides, I'm not letting you skip school for me, alright? Education is important."

"School isn't as important as my family. I don't care what you say, I promise if you need me I'll be there. You're my big sister, I can't leave you alone if you're sad." And there it was. That was what she had needed from Bucky. He was supposed to be her person, the one thing she could count on, and he left her reeling in his wake without a glance backwards. Here was a child, her baby brother, offering her the support and comfort she so desperately needed. She lost it then, bawling over the video feed.

"M-Make sure you never lose that. You're a good kid, Peter." She sniffled.

"Oh please don't cry, I didn't mean to make you cry." He panicked, sincerity gleaming in his eyes. Donatella smiled weakly.

"They're good tears, Peter. Don't worry, talking to you made me feel much better. Tell May I said hi, okay? I'm going to call Tony and Pepper quickly before I hit the hay." She assured him she would be fine before they said their goodbyes. She composed herself before clicking on Tony's contact, and he answered lightning fast.

"Hello Daphne, unmask any monsters today?" Tony's smirk filled the screen and she laughed.

"Unfortunately I've discovered that asking me to the lab was a ruse." She joked, before lightheartedly explaining the situation. She was glad she'd talked to Peter first, it helped her to keep her cool while talking to Tony. She managed to calm him down, he threatened to suit up and come down for a few rounds with Barnes, but she stopped him.

"You've got me on retainer, don't worry. I'll be there as fast as I can if you need me."

"Funny, that's what Peter said. That kid is more like you than you can imagine, I'm starting to get worried." She laughed before turning serious. "Listen, I need to let you know… I found out. About my parents." She explained, watching his expression darken.

"Rogers is there, then?" He asked calmly. She winced.

"He just got here a few hours ago. But he told me about the Winter Soldier and what he did to them… why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"I didn't think you should hear that news so close to losing… you know who." He looked ashamed for a moment before regaining his air of nonchalance. "But now we're in the same boat. You okay, kid?"

"I'm fine. It's relieving to know that they're gone, actually. Ever since I found out who they had been, they've been… dead to me, for lack of a better term." She sighed. He nodded, understanding clear in his eyes. "I didn't tell Peter about that part, I feel like he doesn't need to know."

"Good call on that one, but I'll have to call you back. Duty calls, and Pepper needs my opinion on table linens." He smirked, saying goodbye. She made him promise to call her back soon before she was left to herself again. She sighed, groaning as she got up. Padding over to the bed, she picked up the fresh nightgown that was laying out for her. She flexed her cramped toes and changed, relaxing with a sigh at the soft smooth fabric against her skin. She went into her bathroom, washing her face and combing her hair before climbing into bed, the exhaustion from the day creeping up on her. She fell asleep quickly. Her dreams began as soon as her eyes shut it seemed.

"Donnie." He smiled at her, in his Wakanda clothing. "I missed you." He came closer, and she melted into his one-armed embrace. His skin was smooth, hard muscle just underneath. She missed this, the way he felt beneath her fingertips. She grinned, running her fingers through his soft hair, laughing as he groaned at the feeling. He was beautiful, really a sight for sore eyes.

"I'm sorry for hitting you." She replied, feeling a bit meek. Why had she been angry again? Who could be mad at that gorgeous face?

"No you're not." He shook his head. She laughed with a grin.

"You're right, it felt pretty good to punch you in your thick skull." He cracked another smile at this, perfect teeth gleaming in the light of the setting sun. "You look good, angel."

"I feel good, now that you're back." He sighed, reaching up to touch her hair. "I love this. You look perfect to me, always."

"Ever the charmer." She rolled her eyes. He laughed at that, trailing his fingertips over her cheek.

"I love you, Donatella." He smiled, leaning closer to her.

"I love you too." She gasped, jerking herself awake, shaking in anger. She was angry with herself. She _didn't _love him anymore. She wouldn't allow herself to. Steeling her thoughts, she took in a shaky breath. Dammit, why was he everywhere? That does it. She had to talk to him, had to get him off her mind. He was _literally_ haunting her. She jumped out of bed, grabbing a robe from the back of the bathroom door and slipping it on, putting on a pair of sandals before quietly exiting her room. She tiptoed down to the elevator, taking it down to the main floor, passing a guard who largely ignored her. She followed the same path that Shuri had taken her the other day, the one that led straight to Bucky's hut. She saw it in the distance, and poured on the speed, her blood pounding in her ears, drowning out the noises of the night. She quietly pushed aside the cloth hanging over the doorway, peering around in the darkness. "Bucky?" She called out in a whisper. There was a sharp rustling noise that ended quickly, and she waited for her eyes to adjust. She saw his figure get up, he'd been lying on a cot a few feet away.

"Donatella." He breathed, coming closer to her, his shadowy figure towering over hers. She had forgotten how large he was.

"We need to talk." Her words were sharper than she'd meant them to be, and she saw him flinch. "Come on." She motioned for him to follow her outside. She didn't feel comfortable in the small space. Not with the hostility she was feeling towards him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice a low rumble in the quiet air. She turned to face him, the moonlight lighting his gorgeous features. His eyes were almost gray in the dim light. She cleared her throat, glancing down at his bare feet before meeting his eyes again. Straight to the point then. Took a deep breath before blurting out the question that had been haunting her for months.

"Why didn't you come back?" She asked. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, emotion filling his eyes.

"I-I didn't… there's something you don't know." He whispered, his eyes shining with pain. She pursed her lips, watching the turmoil in his eyes.

"Bucky, _I know_. Steve told me." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold even though it was so warm outside. "But why didn't you _say_ anything? It doesn't matter to me what the Winter Soldier did. It only mattered what _you_ did. And you didn't tell me. I had to hear it from Steve."

"I can't stand the thought of hurting you." His arm raises, hand hovering close to her, but she backed away, not wanting him to touch her while they spoke. She needed to keep her head clear. She knew if she let him touch her she'd be a goner.

"Well you really fucked that up then didn't you." She laughed bitterly, scrubbing her hand over her face. "You just abandoned me in New York. God, Buck, you couldn't even call? Anything? We've annulled the accords, your name is clean now, Tony made sure of it."

"I couldn't come back. Not with _him_ inside my head. I can't trust myself, Donatella, I almost _killed_ you." His voice was pleading.

"I don't care about that!" She hissed, furrowing her eyebrows. "We've already been over that! I was fine, okay? _We_ were fine."

"Then why can't we go back to the way it was before?" He stepped closer to her, but halted as she flinched away. Hurt flashed over his expression, but he stepped back again.

"Because you left. You left me. You made me feel like I wasn't _worth_ the effort. God, I looked for you. I had help, too. And once I realized it was a waste of time, that you didn't want me the way I wanted you, well… I gave up. Got angry, and moved on. You should too." She shook her head sharply.

"You _are _worth it. Why do you think I came here? To the man that tried to kill me. I asked him to help me, so I could be with you without being scared of losing control. Of hurting you." His voice was trembling and rough. She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears.

"You should have come to me _first_." She gritted her teeth. "_I_ could have helped you."

"You have a life to live. I can't make you put it on hold for me. You needed to get back on your feet." he pleaded.

"That was not your decision to make!" She snarled, trying to keep quiet. "We were supposed to be a team, Buck, you can't just expect me to be fine with you leaving me on my own for six months!"

"Six months?" His voice was quiet, his face falling. "No, it's only been… three…" he stumbled away.

"Buck. You were on ice for almost six months. You left me for _six months_. Don't expect me to be okay with you turning into a ghost on me." She practically scolded him. His eyes dimmed and he all but collapsed to the ground, sitting and staring out over the water. "Bucky?" She asked, alarmed at his reaction.

"I didn't realize it had been so long." He whispered, eyes vacant. "I left you for six months…"

"They didn't tell you?" She asked, kneeling beside him.

"Th-they said over two months… thought they meant three." He swallowed. "Guess that's why you look so different." He laughed hollowly, looking up at her and studying her face. "You lost weight." Bucky commented, and her face flushed.

"Y-yeah… stress does that." She muttered. Another look of shame washed over his expression.

"I didn't mean to be gone so long. I wanted to come back and see you… I wanted to be with you so badly. But I couldn't. I couldn't put you through those things again." His eyes were full of sincerity. "I miss when we were together. I thought we _were_ still together…" he trailed off.

"It wasn't real, Buck." She closed her eyes, taking it a shuddering breath. "When we were together, we weren't in the real world. We had our own bubble… and now that we're out of that, I realized we don't know each other."

"Yes we do!" He shot back, leaning towards her with determination blazing in his eyes. "I know you, and you know me. I _love_ you, Donatella."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Why?" He asked. He looked alarmed, and she saw him look… scared. She'd never seen him with that expression before.

"Because I don't think I love you anymore." He sucked in a sharp breath, reeling backwards. His expression was unreadable, anger, hurt, and sadness mingled together.

"You have to. You have to love me still. I _know_ you do." His voice was rough as he looked to her, desperation clear in his tone. Her heart ached, fragile edges ready to let him in once more. But her brain knew better, hardening and pushing the urge to embrace him away.

"You hurt me, Bucky." She choked out. "So badly. It took me so long to recover… I can't forgive you for that."

"No, please!" He reached out to her, pulling her into his chest, his one arm wrapped tightly around him. She let herself melt, just for a moment, inhaling his scent and absorbing the feel of him. She softly pulled away, averting her eyes.

"Bucky, you have to let go." She whispered. His hand was gripping her wrist, refusing to let her up.

"Give me a chance, give _us_ a chance. Please." He furrowed his brows, his lips parted expectantly. She felt torn. She'd barely recovered from the last time, but it would be so easy to just forget about the past and kiss him, feel him pressed against her, feel whole again…

But could she really depend on him? He'd abandoned her before, what was to stop him from doing it again?

"Goodbye, Bucky." She whispered, tugging herself free and standing. This time, she was the one who left him, sitting on the ground with tears in his eyes. It tore her apart inside, but she knew she couldn't stay.

And then she was alone.

**Thanks so much for being excited for the second part of this story! I hope you guys enjoy where I'm taking this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Back to Black**

"You talked to him?" Shuri asked as they prepped the room.

"Yes." She replied, not giving much away.

"And you forgave him?" Her tone was almost hopeful. Donatella tensed, working on sterilizing the table.

"I couldn't." She shook her head, feeling ashamed. "It hurt, a lot, but I walked away."

"But you talked to him." Shuri pointed out. "That is progress, my friend." She grinned, seemingly proud of her.

"Shuri, I don't know if progress is enough." Don frowned. Shuri sighed, turning to face her again. "I don't think anything can fix this."

"I believe in you two. Everyone goes through a rough patch. You two barely got the chance to get on your feet the first time, you just need to take it slow. I won't push you, but I think you should keep trying." the girl gave good advice, she had to admit.

"Trying sucks." She sighed. He really knew how to make her cry with those puppy dog eyes. She'd sobbed herself to sleep the night before, hurt fresh in her heart from seeing him again. Seeing how hopeful he'd been. "I don't think I want to try anymore." she shook her head.

"Why? I'm sorry, but I just want to understand why you don't want to try." Shuri demanded, her eyes flaring with irritation. Donatella paused, alarmed at the expression on her friend's face.

"It hurts." her voice trembled. "I never said no to him, I followed him anywhere he wanted to go, I fucking fought for him…"

"And now he's trying to fix himself for you." Shuri sighed, her body tensed.

"But what about once he's fixed? What about when he realizes that I'm not meant for this kind of life? I've practically been living in a lab for six months, he's going to get bored of that. He might try, but we were never meant to last." she shook her head.

"Then why are you running from him? If you already know how it ends, then why can't you just be with him for the moment?" she asked. Donatella paused, looking down in confusion.

"How can I give him the kind of love he needs when I can barely stand myself?" her voice cracked. Shuri's eyes went from irritated to empathetic in a flash, and the girl moved across the room to place a hand on her arm. "I don't mean to sound like a kid, but I don't even want to be myself anymore."

"I think that Sergeant Barnes may have the same feelings towards himself." she said, a knowing look in her eyes.

"I just need to focus on finding a happy medium for myself right now. I can't play this game with him." she sighed, drooping with exhaustion. It was only midday, and Bucky was supposed to be coming in to work with Shuri in a few moments. Donatella asked to be removed from the situation, not wanting to be present while they… well, experimented on him. Shuri asked her to stay in the lab next door, in case her help was needed, but she dreaded the thought of having to see him lying on that table while they poked around in his brain. It would be too much. "I'm going next door. I think that I'd be best working on the arm alone for now while you work with him." she scurried through the metal doors, and they closed with a quiet clunk, successfully separating her from the bustle next door. It was cool and calm in there, nice and quiet as well. She got to work quickly, assembling pieces together with great care, wanting the appendage to work perfectly once it got to its wearer.

Why did she care so much? Why couldn't she just shut him out of her brain, close her heart off? It hurt. She ached inside, knowing he was so close and yet so far. She felt helpless around him. She wanted to give in. But neither path was easy. She should never have come. No, scratch that. She should never have helped him that first night they met. Her life would be so much simpler…

And sad. And lonely. Without him, without these experiences, she wouldn't be who she was today. She wouldn't have created the Bridge, she would never have saved Rhodey… she'd have never met Peter, or Tony, or Pepper. She would never have felt so loved by a person, not like she had with Bucky. Other people in the past loved her shallowly, wanting to take as much as they could from her, like leeches. But Bucky… well, he had sunk himself deep into her being, giving as much as he got, if not more. He protected her, he saved her, loved her… and when it was gone, she felt wrong. It hurt to breathe, it felt like she was ripped apart from the inside. Now that she was finally able to feel almost whole again, she wouldn't give _anyone_ the chance to hurt her like that again. She realized she didn't regret the past. She only regretted not holding on tighter, not keeping closer to him during that last time they had seen each other on the battlefield… But she wasn't a soldier. Living on the run wasn't going to work, it wasn't in her blood. She welded down the last plate on the arm and stepped back, admiring her work. It really hadn't taken long, the computer was able to do most of the work, but Shuri wanted to hold off on giving him the arm. At least until the Soldier was erased from his mind.

"Doctor Belucci?" one of the doctors entered, calling out to her in the starkly bright lab.

"Yes?" she asked, coming over to him.

"Captain Rogers is requesting your presence. The patient is unsettled." her heart seized, her fingers clenching into fists.

"Of course." she murmured, following the doctor to the room over. Once they made it through the double doors, she heard the screaming, and she all but ran over to the source. She _knew_ the voice, recognized the screams of pain from his nightmares. Shuri stood behind his head, electrical probes sticking from his dark locks, his blue eyes wide and unseeing.

"We are getting close, but the Soldier is strong." Shuri explained as Don smoothed her hand over his bare shoulder. His tense muscles relaxed momentarily before tightening again, his irises darting around, unfocused but sharp. "We think he is remembering his time with HYDRA."

"Bucky was experimented on once before, during the war." Steve spoke up, and she tore her eyes away from Bucky to see him standing across from her at the table. "I don't know exactly what happened during that time, he never told me, but I think it was something like this."

"They made an initial attempt to wipe him and put the programming into his brain, but their technology was imperfect and it didn't stick." she murmured, gripping his hand in hers and smoothing her other hand up his arm. "He gained back almost all of his memories while we were in Bucharest." she glanced guiltily back up to Steve. He frowned, eyes tight and worried as they looked down on him.

"How much longer do you think you'll take, Shuri?" Steve asked.

"For this session? We've successfully decoded three of the words. I would like to attempt one more, but it may be difficult. He is already unsettled, and he screams when I get close to it." she sighed. "It may take another hour." Donatella winced, looking up at Bucky's furrowed brow. She squeezed his hand, absentmindedly telling herself to distance herself from this situation. But she couldn't, not when he was helpless on the table, laying there in pain.

"Stop if it gets to be too much." Don bit her lip, and Shuri nodded, motioning for one of the doctors to come forward. She gazed down at the straps over his chest, digging tightly into the muscle. One of the probes moved and he tried to thrash, the vibranium straining to hold him back as he let out another bellow. His teeth were gritted, but his body was held steady, no chance of him being able to hurt himself while he was pinned. But it broke her heart to see him like this. He was helpless on that table. Steve sighed, taking a seat on a stool as he watched.

"He told you about being a POW?" Steve asked, glancing up at her.

"He had a dream, once, when we were in Bucharest. He called out for you, and then when he woke up, I asked him about it. He told be about how you rescued him and the 107th single-handedly." she chuckled sadly, tracing her fingertips over Bucky's shoulder. He seized up again, but relaxed when he seemed to recognize her touch. "Hey, it's okay, angel. I'm here." she murmured as he attempted to lash out again. He relaxed once more, his unseeing eyes rolling over to her general area. He let out a low groan, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them again.

"Why does he have to be awake for this, again?" Steve asked Shuri.

"We can't just play around in his brain while he's unconscious, we could hit something vital and not realize it. We have to gauge the reactions in order to keep ourselves on the right track." Shuri replied, focusing closely on the task at hand. He screamed as they pushed a probe particularly deep, his voice almost raw from use. She winced, cooing down to him again, getting close to his ear and tracing more patterns over his skin in an attempt to distract him.

"You're really helping." Steve commented as he calmed again, her touch seeming to soothe him just as fast as he got riled up. She didn't reply, not sure what to say. "Bucky told me what happened last night." she looked up guiltily at him before turning her gaze back down to the man beneath her. "He said he's not giving up on you." her eyes shot up to his in alarm before she looked back down, a tenderness leaking from her eyes as she looked at his pained face. He couldn't hear them, but she felt like he was still part of the conversation, those wide blue eyes facing her.

"Of course he said that." she laughed shakily, pressing her fingertips to his cheekbone. He relaxed into her touch, his eyes glazing over peacefully, the pain that clouded them melting back a bit. "He's too stubborn to know when to quit."

"All due respect, ma'am, I don't think he should give up on you." Steve replied. "And I don't think you should give up on him either." she gave him a curious look, nothing but sincerity in his eyes. She swallowed, her mouth very dry. Everyone was pushing her towards him, saying it was the best thing for him.

But was it the best thing for her?

"I think we are finished here." Shuri announced, stepping back and allowing the doctors to remove the neural probes.

"I should go." Don untangled her fingers from Bucky's as he began to stir back to the real world.

"No, stay." Steve shook his head, reaching out to stop her. "He needs you now more than ever." she hesitated, looking down at him as he groaned, his restraints being taken off. It was too late at that point, his focus was coming back, no longer clouded by the Winter Soldier's influence. She had to face him now.

"Hey." he breathed out, a shaky smile overcoming his features as he focused on her. She gave a weak grin back, her lips pressed tightly together.

"How do you feel?" Steve asked, and Bucky glanced over to his friend.

"Like my head just got put in a blender." he groaned, trying to sit up. She rushed forwards, holding his shoulders down.

"Here, relax for a minute. Don't go too fast." she murmured, taking off her blazer and pillowing it under his head. He sighed, taking a deep breath through his nose.

"So, you come here often, dollface?" he smirked up at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. She breathed out a laugh, a little taken aback by his sudden line.

"Smooth." she nodded, leaning back with a slight grin.

"Oh, I can do better. You know, if all my doctors looked like you I'd probably find any excuse to get a physical." she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, was that one too much?" he asked, glancing between Steve and Donnie with a smirk. Steve's eyes were wide, as if he didn't believe who the man in front of him was. It was like he'd reverted into her Bucky, carefree and happy as long as he was by her side.

"You're really something." she breathed out another laugh, shaking her head. Steve grinned, finally moving from his frozen position.

"You haven't changed. Always a womanizer." he chuckled, crossing his arms.

"And you're still a punk." Bucky shot right back. She rolled her eyes again, stepping back.

"I'll leave you two to it." she nodded at the pair, and Bucky struggled to sit up, his arm reaching out for her as she backed away, panic clear on his face at the thought of her leaving. "I'll see you around." she said quickly, wrapping her arms tightly around herself before turning and walking off.

"Donnie!" he called out behind her, but she just walked faster, her heels clicking loudly against the floor as she moved towards the other lab. Shuri waited for her with a knowing grin.

"What?" she asked, a bit exasperated.

"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Shuri's grin widened, and she rolled her eyes again.

"It was fine. I just helped him out." she waved the girl's teasing off.

"Sure." she smirked again. "Speaking of helping people out… My brother is having a small gala here, at the palace to celebrate Wakanda's branch into the rest of the world."

"Oh, that sounds fun." she commented, going over to the worktable where the metal arm laid.

"It's private, only a few world leaders and important politicians will be attending." Shuri mentioned.

"Sounds less fun." she commented dryly. Shuri laughed, coming towards the woman.

"I'd like you to attend." she grinned. Donatella barked out a laugh.

"Oh, you're serious? No, no thanks. I don't like politicians that much, you know, the whole Accords thing and the world leaders wanting me in jail for a hot minute wasn't fun." Donatella grimaced at Shuri, causing the other girl to attend.

"I wasn't asking, you know. I'm saying I'd like you to be there, if only for a brief period of time." she smiled smugly.

"Oh yes, of course I'll be there your highness." she said sarcastically with a small bow. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

"No, that will be all. I'll message you with the details." Shuri waved her off with a laugh.

"Wait, when is this shindig anyways?" Don frowned.

"Tomorrow night, my friend, I will be out of the lab all day in order to prepare for the political masterpiece." Shuri made a grand gesture. Donatella groaned before laughing again. "So you will be alone for the afternoon. I would also like you to fit Sergeant Barnes with his arm tomorrow, to make sure that all works well." she gave another sly grin.

"No! There's no way I'll be alone in here with him." she crossed her arms and frowned.

"Well, he will have to give you your blazer back sometime." Shuri shrugged. "I can have Captain Rogers accompany him to the lab. I'll let them know tomorrow morning."

"Having Steve there really isn't a buffer you know!" Don called to Shuri as the girl walked away. She just laughed and gave a small wave before getting into the elevator, leaving her behind. "Great." Donatella muttered to herself, going to give the arm one last look before she retired for the day.

She sighed, dragging herself from the lab and to the elevator, her mind beginning to wander to Bucky, as it always did. She got a fresh up close and personal look at his physique for the first time in months, and a slow burn had ignited, the memory of how his skin felt against hers rearing up in her mind. She tried to shake those thoughts off as she entered her personal quarters, kicking her heels off with a sigh. A memory of him stalking towards her hungrily surfaced. His eyes held a dark longing, his lips curled at the edges into a knowing smirk. He stalked like a jungle cat, strong muscles rippling under his skin as his towering frame approached. The ghost of the memory leaned over her where she was perched on her bed in Wakanda, his breath teasing over her lips as he hovered, not quite giving her what she wanted. His eyes were full of want, and she felt herself panting, waiting for him to make his move. But he disappeared in a flash when she realized it wasn't real. Blinded with lust she groaned, flopping backwards onto the bed.

It really had been too long since she had a good lay. She stood quickly as she heard a knock on her door. She rushed over, opening it to see Shuri grinning on the other side.

"I came to the realization that you may not have a proper gown to wear." she pushed a box into her arms.

"Gown?" she echoed, looking down at the box. "I could just wear a cocktail dress, or something."

"Nonsense. Wear what I gave you. It will look great on you I'm sure." Shuri waved off her protests. The girl left just as quickly as she'd arrived, leaving Don standing in the center of her room with the dress box.

"Holy mother of-" she pulled the dress out, jaw dropping at the thing. It was all black silk, floor length with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. But when she noticed the very high slit she hissed in annoyance. The thing must go up past her mid thigh. She sighed, trying the thing on to make sure she wouldn't have to find a backup in the back of her closet. She gave a low whistle as she looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't too tight, but it clung in all the right places, and revealed ample cleavage as well as almost her entire leg. She had to admit, she looked good. She'd have to work extra hard on her hair and makeup in order to pull the look off, but the dress was a great start. Made her ass look great, too. She quickly took the dress off, hanging it on the mirror and trailing her fingers over the fabric. It felt like cold water rippling through her fingers, and she could not wait to be able to wear it. She hummed happily as she walked back to her bed, picking up her laptop and settling into her chair to call Peter. She hoped he was back from school by now.

"Hey Donnie!" he crowed, he was outside from the looks of it.

"How was your day, kid?" she asked with a grin.

"Pretty boring actually, I've been walking around waiting for a robbery or something but nothing has happened." he sighed, and she then noticed he was in his suit with the mask pulled off.

"Wait, where are you?" she peered at him but could only see the sky in the background.

"I'm on top of the empire state building, isn't that awesome!" he shouted, panning the camera to show her.

"Peter! Get down before you get hurt!" she scolded him.

"I'm fine! I'm stuck on, and if I fall I've got my web shooters!" he defended, and she sighed, shaking her head. "Hey, what's the dress for?" he squinted at his screen.

"Apparently I'm supposed to attend a gala tomorrow for a bunch of politicians. I'll be a monkey for them to look at." she joked, a short laugh escaping him.

"It'll be just like with Tony. I wish I could come, do you need a date for it?" his eyes lit up, hopeful. She rolled hers and shook her head.

"No, Peter, you're staying in New York." she laughed. "You wouldn't like it anyways, it's gonna be filled with boring old dudes. I'm sure Shuri invited me just to spite me."

"Well, it beats sitting at home doing homework." he shrugged.

"Okay spidey, what would Queens do without you to save the day?" she teased, and he grimaced, a flush painting his cheeks.

"They don't really like me all that much, you know." he chuckled.

"They don't know what they're missing. I'll try to call you again tomorrow, okay? Bye, Peter." she waved, and he gave her a small grin as they hung up. She sighed, closing her laptop and walking over to her balcony, stepping outside.

Today was… she didn't even know what to think. She had so much whirling around inside her brain she had a headache. Why did she come here? Was this worth the heartache? Being close to him affected her judgement far too much… but it hurt more to be without him, she realized. What should she do? Should she just give in, be with him again? She had to just get a fucking grip, or she was going to end up sobbing in a heap on the floor again. That wasn't fun. She was over the aggravation he was causing her, she just wanted it to be over.

She felt her eyes begin to water, her lip trembling as the ache in her throat began. Fuck, she was about to start crying again. Why couldn't she just be done being sad? She was so far from home, she just wanted to sleep in her own bed and wake up and realize everything was a bad dream. She was so _tired_. A sob bubbled up, dropping from her lips into the still night air. And then she was bawling, leaning over the terrace overlooking the jungle. Could she get a fucking grip on reality, please? She was sick of crying over the same fucking things. She wiped her tears away furiously, taking deep breaths to stop her sobs.

She would get over this. In due time, everything would pass, and she would be fine once more. One last deep breath of the warm air and she had composed herself.

She could make it through this. She was sure of it. Don had made it through much worse already and survived.

**I feel like Donatella is really lonely in Wakanda, she's far away from everyone she loves and it's really hard on her to be around Bucky. It's like she's struggling with herself. She knows she's been hurt, feels betrayed even, but she just wants to feel better. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Need You Now**

**This Chapter Contains Adult Themes**

"Good morning gentlemen." Donatella greeted Bucky and Steve as they walked into the lab. "Sergeant, if you could please take a seat on the examination table." she nodded, trying to keep herself as emotionally distant as possible.

"Sergeant? Really?" Bucky asked as he settled onto the table. He was dressed in pants and a shirt instead of his Wakandan clothes, one sleeve tied off. Steve helped him pull the shirt off, and she felt her breath whoosh out of her as she looked over him. Could he stop being so stupidly perfect? It was becoming annoying. "Oh, before I forget." he nudged a small folded piece of cloth towards her that she recognized as her blazer. She gave him a tight-lipped smile before furrowing her brows at his appearance.

"Did Steve do your hair?" she asked, glancing at his half-up style. Steve smirked as Bucky squirmed.

"Uh, no. The kids from the village…" he explained before clearing his throat. She held back a giggle and moved to the side of the room, the box with the arm closed and waiting. She picked it up, bringing it over towards him and setting it down by his side.

"Okay, Shuri and I made this, but it's a bit different than your other arm." she began to explain its functionality and what it could all do as she pulled it out of the box. Moving towards the place where his arm was gone, she checked to make sure the arm would fit correctly in position before pulling the plate off. Multiple latches, screws, and hooks later, the arm hung from his shoulder. She bit her lip, looking up into his face to see him already watching her. She flushed, stepping back once she realized how close she was to him.

"How does it feel, Buck?" Steve asked. He frowned, looking down and moving it. The light metal swung easily with his movements, and a small smile quirked at the corner of his gorgeous plump lips that she wanted to-_no_, knock it off brain.

"Feels good. Lighter than before, but nice and solid." he reached out, flexing his fingers with a grin. He reached out with the new prosthetic, grabbing her hand in light, strong fingers and tugging her closer to him. "Thanks doc, you're too good to me." his grin turned into a smirk as she nearly stumbled into his lap. She cleared her throat and stepped back again, glancing at Steve. She slid her hand out of his quickly, the jolt that went through her at the contact was way too thrilling.

"If you have any problems you can come to either me or Shuri." she said, glancing back up at Bucky. He was still smiling at her. She smoothed her skirt out with a nod, taking another step back. He looked damn good, those perfect white teeth shining in the bright lab lights, and his gorgeous physique was even harder to ignore as he lounged across the table. God, it should be illegal to look that good.

"Looks nice." Steve nodded at his friend, admiring the shiny metal.

"Hopefully I won't have to use it anytime soon." he chuckled, flexing his hand again. She wanted to know what the metal felt like against her bare skin…

"W-well, if you need anything else, let me know. Otherwise you're free to go." she cleared her throat again, trying to shake the inappropriate images from her brain. She couldn't help but ogle him as he stretched his arms over his head, flexing as he put his shirt back on. _God_ it was hard to resist him.

"We'll see you later tonight then." Steve mentioned as Bucky hopped down from the table.

"W-what? Why?" she asked, her stomach curling in on itself in dread.

"We'll be at the gala. King T'Challa asked us to come, since we technically aren't wanted by any governments anymore." Steve explained, and she felt her face drop.

"I… guess I'll see you there then." she glanced at Bucky, and had a quick image of what he might look like in a suit… Holy _shit_ she was screwed.

"Save a dance for me." Bucky smiled at her as he stalked off, and she gulped, watching his purposeful stride. Could he just stop being that cocky bastard for two minutes? It was way too attractive on him. His profile disappeared through the metal double doors and her breath came out in a whoosh, finally able to relax. He knew _exactly_ what he did to her. She wanted to scream.

She managed to get a bit more work done on one of the side projects, but without anyone else to bounce ideas off of she got bored really quickly. Donatella made it through another painstaking few hours before it was an acceptable time to go and get ready. She trudged up to her room, taking the stairs to waste some time. She blew a raspberry as she approached her door, and when it swung open in front of her she nearly screamed.

"Doctor, hello!" a gorgeous woman grinned at her from inside her own room.

"H-hi? W-who are you?" she asked, stepping inside cautiously.

"Princess Shuri sent me over, I am here to help you prepare for the party!" she crowed, grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around in a forced twirl. "Have you found a date?"

"Um, no, I'm definitely going stag for this. I'm hoping I can slip out early, actually." she admitted as the woman shoved her towards the bathroom. She felt a bit dizzy from practically being tossed around the room.

"Well that's interesting, considering a very handsome man stopped in to leave a gift for you to wear tonight." the woman said as she began to strip her down.

"Woah, woah, hang on a second, what?" she stood there in her bra and underwear, backing away from the woman and her scarily nimble fingers. "Who left me what?"

"Sergeant Barnes brought in a beautiful pair of pink sapphire earrings, very thoughtful of him, don't you think?" the woman gave a coy smile.

"He gave me what?" she squawked, sitting on the edge of the tub with a loud sigh. "Can you give them back, please? I don't want them." she shook her head, her stomach gnawing at itself.

"No can do, he left a handwritten note too, so sweet. Oh, but I didn't read it though, of course I wouldn't read that. Now please get in the shower and wash up so I can get to work!" she barked, going from dreamily staring at the ceiling to a drill sergeant in the span of two seconds. She jumped to attention, feeling as if she should salute before thinking better as the woman left. Donatella cranked the knob, turning the hot water up and stripped the rest of the way once the door was shut and _locked_.

She washed quickly, not trusting the strange woman alone in her room. What the hell was going on? Did Shuri think she was incapable of getting dressed and putting makeup on by herself? Or maybe she was worried she wouldn't show up… it was probably the latter.

When she stepped out of the shower she _did_ scream. Somehow the woman had bypassed the locked door and was waiting for her with a big jar of… something.

"What are you doing in here? The door was locked!" she shouted, tightening her towel around her chest.

"This is nothing I haven't seen before! Don't worry, come here." she gestured for her to step over. She did, tentatively, and squealed when the woman whipped the towel off, slathering the substance in the jar all over her body. She gaped as her skin transformed from pale and dry to glowing and soft.

"Wow, this stuff is amazing…" she murmured, twisting and turning to let the light catch on her new and improved décolletage. She wasn't glittery, she just… _glowed_. The woman stuffed her into a robe, tying it almost dangerously tight around her waist.

"Okay, time for the hair!" she cheered, pulling out some shiny combs and a somehow futuristic hairdryer? Where was she getting this stuff? It most definitely wasn't in the room before. After a quick few tugs through the snarls, she had a voluminous blowout that was shiny and gorgeous, and she knew no matter how many times she would attempt it herself she could never get her hair to look that good. "I found this in your jewelry box! Your beau must really know what you like if he got you matching earrings!" the woman whipped out her necklace from Janita, the pink sapphire sparkling on the end. She snatched it from her hands, holding it close to her chest.

"P-please stop going through my things." she pleaded weakly, gently clasping the chain around her neck. The woman then whipped out the earrings from behind her back, sticking them through her ears with a vengeance, causing Donnie to yelp. Once she finished Donatella rubbed her sore earlobes, feeling the pink heart studs securely in place.

"Ready to get your makeup done?" the woman asked sweetly.

"Um, I can do that, you don't really have to-"

"Nonsense!" she pulled a huge case out this time, opening it to reveal more makeup than she'd ever seen in her life. "Here, give me your face!" she beamed, teeth almost too white to look at. She grabbed her chin, wrenching her head into a position where she attacked mercilessly. It felt like hours, but must have only been around forty minutes to finish. She had to physically wrestle the mascara from the woman, there was no way she would trust anyone that close to her eyes.

"I can get dressed by myself!" she almost stomped her foot like a kid as the woman dragged her from the bathroom and back into her bedroom.

"No, no, I need to help! Don't worry, it will be fine!" the woman promised as she disrobed her forcibly. She shivered, covering her exposed skin as the woman came back with a terrifying lingerie set.

"No! I can wear my own underwear!" she pleaded. The skimpy little lace g-string did _not_ look comfortable, and the matching strapless bustier was not looking breezy either. Both were pitch black to match the dress, but the woman basically forced her into the thong before she laced her up into the top. She had to get used to breathing less deep, but it wasn't as bad as she thought. She was slightly glad for the help while getting into the dress, since her arms didn't quite reach the top of the zipper.

"Gorgeous!" the woman gushed, turning to push her to the mirror. Donatella stumbled before she stopped, in awe of herself.

"Holy fuck." she breathed. She didn't even look remotely like the person she was before. She was a goddess, absolutely stunning. The corset cinched her in flatly, pushing her girls up in a very nice way. She had killer cleavage, and her long, lanky leg looked shapely and smooth, glowing skin revealed through the slit. Her face was the best part. Wide hazel eyes were emphasized with warm smoky tones, her lips a dark red, and her hair flowed like water over her bare shoulders. The tiny heart glimmered around her neck, and her spine straightened as she realized she felt good about herself. Really, truly good.

She remembered her conversation with Shuri, and her heart panged as she realized why the girl had done this. She wanted her to like herself, something she revealed she had struggled with. This wouldn't fix her self-image issues, but it was a nice touch. She'd have to thank the princess later.

"Here, the shoes!" the woman held out a hand that held a pair of strappy stilettos. The signature red bottom nearly made her squeal with delight.

"Oh, these are too much." she breathed, but she put them on anyways. They completed the look, giving her yet another confidence boost. She felt pretty, no, she felt _sexy_. She could make it through the night like this. What did she have to lose?

"The gala started a few moments ago, I suggest you wait a bit, have a fashionably late entrance." the woman smiled demurely, much more calm now that she was ready.

"I have to make a call anyways, thank you so much." she gushed. She merely smiled back and left, leaving Donatella alone to take out her laptop and click on Peter's name. She sat giddily in front of the computer, a grin taking over her face when he saw her, his jaw dropping.

"Holy shit!" he shouted. She immediately scolded him for swearing, and he at least looked a little embarrassed. "I-I mean holy cow?" he smiled sheepishly.

"Better." she grinned. "How is it?"

"Stand up, show me the whole thing! Wait, wait, I need to add Tony. I just got the group facetime update!" he shouted, furiously tapping on the phone. "Mr. Stark! Look at her, she's like friggin Cinderella!"

"Kid, this isn't Cinderella, it's more like Pretty Woman. Hey there gorgeous, good to see you in something that suits you." Tony grinned, glasses covering half his expression.

"It's so much, but I think I deserve it." she whooshed out a huge breath of air. "This woman came in and got me all glammed up and wow, I look better than I've ever been."

"Kid, you're always stunning, but I have to admit you clean up nice." Tony smirked.

"Thanks old man." she teased, pushing her hair behind her shoulder.

"So how have things been with you and Mr. Barnes?" Peter asked. Her grin turned into a grimace.

"They've been… okay." she shrugged, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "I got my answers." she mentioned.

"That's good! Have you…" Peter trailed off, not quite sure how to finish.

"I haven't talked to him enough to make any final decisions yet." she shook her head. "But I think that once this is all over, I want to just come home and hang out with you guys again." she smiled weakly.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad you like us enough to want to come back." Tony teased. She chuckled at that. "But I'm glad you're branching out on your own. You don't deserve a rollercoaster relationship like that. You need someone charming, but safe."

"Yeah, I don't think you should get back together with him if he made you sad." Peter frowned.

"Kid, the adults are talking." Stark snapped teasingly.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Stark! I know about love!" he groaned, causing Donnie to laugh.

"I'm glad you're smiling, red. Come back to us in one piece, okay?" Tony smiled genuinely.

"If you need me to, I can set you up with one of my teachers, there's one I think you might like!" Peter smiled excitingly.

"No thanks, spidey. I appreciate the effort, though." she chuckled. She missed the banter between the group. A few minutes on the phone wasn't enough. She would kill for one of Peter's special hugs, he was such a sweetie pie.

"Okay, you've got a party to go to, and I've got a fiancee to woo. I'll see you tomorrow, Pete, and you'd better call us again tomorrow night." Tony frowned, giving her a stern look.

"Yes dad, of course I will." she teased, and he quirked a smile. They really were like family to her.

"Have fun Donnie! Make good choices!" Peter waved, and she waggled her fingers before the screen went dark. She sighed, standing and smoothing her dress, twirling in the mirror with a small grin. She really did look glamorous from every angle. As she left her room, her heels clicked against the marble, and she relished in the sound. She was supposed to go to the grand ballroom, as if any part of the palace wasn't grand. There was gold and vibranium adorning almost everything, precious metals littered the building. But, she could see why it was called the grand ballroom.

A huge doorway made almost entirely of gold greeted her, doors propped open to reveal a large group of mingling politicians. She came in quietly, trying not to attract any unwanted attention, but was almost immediately spotted.

"Ah, doctor!" a man with a heavy accent approached, immediately grasping her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. His head popped up, revealing a dashing smile and a slightly familiar face.

"Oh, hello. Laurant Macron of the French Ministry of Health, correct?" she smiled politely back as she recognized him from one of her more recent meetings in Europe.

"Beautiful and intelligent, of course you are." he chuckled, stepping closer to her and gripping her elbow gently. "Can I get the woman of the evening a drink, perhaps?"

"Woman of the evening? Hardly." she chuckled, glancing around.

"Ah, but many of us have only decided to come to this gala in order to meet you, as well as a few others. That Captain America is quite the character." he chuckled, and she glanced around, trying to spot him.

"I suppose." she murmured, absentmindedly seeking out Bucky as well.

"What would you like to drink?" Laurant asked as they neared a bar.

"Oh, just a whiskey will be fine. Straight up, please." she said to the bartender. He nodded before quickly getting it ready and sliding it over to her. She glanced around the bar, taking a sip, looking for tousled brunette hair.

She choked when she saw him.

"Are you okay?" Laurant asked, placing his hand on her shoulder as she tried to wave him off.

"Fine." she croaked, her mouth going dry at the sight of him. Long legs wrapped tightly in a pair of perfectly fitted slacks, an all-black suit adorning his muscular physique. His shoulders seemed to strain against the constricting fabric, a slim black tie nearly blending in with the rest of the suit. His hair was the best part, though, pushed back into some sort of sexy style that revealed his sharp cheekbones and chiseled jaw, his stubble trimmed short. She could nearly see the cleft in his chin from the distance as he leaned against the far wall, swirling a drink in his glass boredly. Everyone else in the room seemed to melt away as soon as she saw him, more like eye-fucked him from across the room. She downed the rest of her drink, quickly asking the bartender for another.

"Doctor Belucci?" Laurant asked, and she blinked, tuning into what he had been saying.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" she smiled politely.

"I was wondering about your work here, in Wakanda." he asked with a charming smile, and she almost scoffed. He was trying way too hard to get her attention.

"Sorry Mr. Macron, that is all classified until we release our results to the public." she took another sip from her drink, shooting a glance across the room to rove over Bucky again.

"You couldn't even make an exception for me?" he nearly purred, leaning in with a predatory grin. He was handsome, sure, but not her type, and she was _so_ not interested at the moment.

"I'm sorry Mr. Macron, but I'm sworn to secrecy." she took a step back, trying to keep her smile from falling into a grimace. "I believe you'll have to find entertainment elsewhere for the evening, I must converse with the Princess of an important matter." she excused herself as she saw Shuri nearby. She stalked over, her glass gripped tightly in her hand.

"Look at you!" the princess turned, ignoring the diplomat that seemed to be vying for her attention. Shuri was in a gorgeous white gown, her hair in braids hanging down her neck, a shawl draped elegantly over her elbows and across her back. "You look better than I could have dreamed of." she gushed, looking her up and down.

"I was surprised myself when I looked in the mirror." Donatella admitted, glancing down at herself before checking to see if Bucky had noticed her yet. If he did, he wasn't showing it, and she felt a pang of disappointment. She kind of wanted him to see her like this.

"I think we should throw more parties, I think you're quite ravishing. Have you seen Sergeant Barnes yet?" Shuri peered around with a knowing grin.

"I t-think he's around here somewhere." she avoided looking in the area she knew he was in.

"He looks very handsome this evening, wouldn't you agree?" Shuri teased.

"He always looks hot as hell, believe me I know." she muttered, taking another swig of her drink before a cool metal hand placed itself on her waist.

"Donatella." he breathed in her ear, and she almost choked again.

"B-Bucky!" she gasped, jumping nearly a foot in the air as he sidled close next to her.

"Well, you two make quite a striking pair." Shuri grinned sneakily at them, eyeing their matching black ensembles.

"You're wearing them." his hand reached up to caress her ear, metal fingers brushing against her neck. She shivered and tried to step back, but his arm curled tightly around her before she could, fusing her to his side.

"They're very lovely, Sergeant. If you'll excuse me, I believe I'll go chat with that handsome man over there." Shuri grinned, floating off with impressive poise.

"You look…" his eyes raked over her, a hungry look coming over his face. "Delectable." He murmured, extremely close to her, his face almost pressed into her neck.

"Thanks, I practically h-had to get molested by a woman in my bathroom to look like this." She forced a laugh, taking a sip of her drink. He smirked, leaning back and raking his gaze over her again.

"I'd pay to see that. Is she the reason you're late? The party started an hour ago, sweetheart." He grinned, probably letting his imagination run wild. The perv.

"No, I was on the phone actually. I wanted to show Stark and Peter my monkey suit. They thought I looked quite good as well." She shrugged, sipping her nearly empty drink. His smirk dropped into a scowl.

"Peter…?" He asked, and she almost snorted a laugh at the disdain dripping from his tone.

"Yes, Peter. He's become a good friend of mine over the past few months." She mentioned, and his hand tightened on her hip as he led her through the sea of bodies, taking her towards a less populated portion of the room.

"Good friend?" His jaw tightened. "Who is this guy, anyways?"

"You've met him… remember? Peter was in the spider suit?" She reminded him. He blinked, recognition falling over his features.

"That guy? You're close with… that guy?" He said, disbelief clear in his voice.

"Why are you so surprised?" She asked, a frown coming over her face as he came closer. Instead of holding her to his side, he was facing her now, practically pulling her into his chest.

"What is he to you?" He murmured, pulling her closer, his breath ghosting over her lips. "I can make you forget about him."

"Buck. He's a kid… he's like my little brother." She giggled nervously, leaning back and trying to avoid the inevitable. She drank in his expression, relishing in his embarrassment. His brows were furrowed, but his stance relaxed, and those piercing blue eyes glimmered with mirth. "Were you jealous?" She teased breathily as his eyes danced down over her body again. He set down his drink and placed his other hand around her, pulling her tightly towards him, crushing her arms between them, empty tumbler nearly sideways in her hand.

"Can you blame me? Don't think I didn't see the Frenchman trying to put his paws on you." His lips turned down into a sneer as he talked about him, his face pressing into her neck as he breathed in. His lips pressed against her pulse point and she gasped, practically melting against him.

"B-Bucky… we can't…" she almost whimpered as she pushed him away. He stopped with a groan, pulling backwards and staring intently into her eyes.

"Tell me you don't want me. Tell me there's no chance for us. Tell me you'll never love me again and I'll give up." He demanded, hands tight on her hips. Her breath came in heaving gasps at the intensity in his gaze, she _couldn't. _She couldn't tell him those things, because she couldn't even tell herself that she didn't love him. Her brain was screaming at her but her heart was pounding out of her chest.

"We can't do that stuff here. Later." She murmured, gripping her glass tightly. Later. She told him later. She gave in. Holy fuck, she gave in. And it was so _easy_, why the fuck did she give in? She had told herself, told everyone that she didn't want the heartache, but she gave in… and adrenaline pulsed through her, a smirk forming on her lips as she set her glass to the side. A matching smile graced his face as she pushed him towards the center of the room. She was tired of fighting him, she just wanted to feel _good_. "I believe you owe me a dance." She purred as they neared the massive orchestra that played. Something smooth and soulful was playing, and his flesh hand rested heavily on her hip as his metal one clasped her fingers between his, leading her in a slow dance.

"The new arm is perfect." He mentioned, glancing at his metallic fingers.

"I made some changes with you in mind. Did you know they didn't have a compartment for any knives in it?" She asked teasingly.

"I'm one lucky bastard knowing you're the one who made it." He smiled down at her, perfect teeth gleaming. God, this was too much. It was all way too much. But she liked it dammit, and she was allowed to be weak. It felt like her dream, the pair swaying as he whispered sweet nothings to her, and she felt her heart swell up and her stomach sink altogether.

"I missed you so much." She blurted out. His smile softened.

"I promise I'm never going to leave you again." He swore, gripping her tightly.

"Bucky, you can't make that promise." She shook her head. "I just… want to be with you while I can." She smiled weakly. "I gave in. I'm weak."

"You're not weak." He sighed, leaning close enough to press his forehead against hers. "You're so strong. I'm so sorry for putting you through this… but I'm selfish. And I want you. You're it for me, doll. It's always been you." He murmured, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips in the middle of the dance floor. She melted into him, dragging her feet across the floor as he continued their dance. He pulled away and she sighed, yearning for his lips to touch hers again but he glanced around with a smirk. "We probably shouldn't do that in public again." He commented.

"Oh, y-yeah." She replied, in a bit of a daze. He chuckled, whirling her faster as the tempo of the music sped up into something more fun. This was her Bucky, the one who danced like a dream and grinned down at her with sparkling eyes full of mischief and desire, full lips plump just begging to be kissed. She had missed him, so, so much. It almost hurt to think about it. But now she had him back, and she didn't want to let go. They moved like liquid through the throngs of people, completely in sync and melded tightly together.

"Would you like another drink, doll?" He smiled down at her as the song ended, and she nodded, slightly awed by the man in front of her. He could turn his charm on in a snap, transform from the dark, mysterious man of the night and into this handsome devil in an instant. It was impressive. She watched him walk away, eyes lingering on his tight… assets, she would say, his purposeful stride incredibly sexy to her.

"May I have this dance?" A hand tapped her shoulder, and she shifted to see Laurant behind her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm taking a break from dancing for now." She smiled apologetically, stepping off the dance floor and towards the bar.

"I can't convince you? Maybe for a kiss, like the Winter Soldier bribed you with?" His eyes flashed dangerously, not flirtatiously, and her smile dropped into a scowl.

"Excuse me?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well it just seems like you're just _giving_ yourself away out here." he practically sneered.

"I'm sorry, but who I kiss and who I dance with for that matter is no concern of yours. You may be a guest here, but I am a professional in my place of work and I can get you booted out of here in a second." she was horrified at his implication. "I find your behavior very inappropriate, and I do not look forward to our next meeting." She turned, stalking away to where she could see Bucky waiting for their drinks. He'd been watching the whole ordeal it seemed, and his eyes roved over her heatedly, want clear on his features. Her breath hitched in her throat, but she reveled in the attention, purposefully swaying her hips before she reached his side and slid up onto the stool beside him.

"Did I ever tell you how hot it is when you're mad?" He murmured in her ear, tucking a strand of hair back as he spoke. "When I first saw you here, you were so feisty and you had red hair and I swore you were a dream. You were better than anything my imagination could come up with, though, and you punched me. I liked it." His low voice in her ear had her shivering, and she leaned closer as he slid her drink over to her. She was far too weak around him, but she couldn't bring herself to move away. He was enticing.

"I can do it again if you want." She nearly gasped as he pressed his lips to her pulse point again.

"I'll keep that in mind. But for tonight, I just want to get you out of those clothes and devour you until the sun rises. And then take you a few more times after that, just to make up for lost time." He mumbled into her skin, and she clenched her thighs, feeling way too turned on by the dirty talk. She took a large gulp of her whiskey, feeling it burn and slowly heat her body. Her skin felt sensitive, and it was way too good, feeling the way his lips mouthed over her neck.

"Bucky. Buck." She gasped, pushing him backwards. He leaned back to smirked at her, lips just begging to be kissed as her glass shook in her hand. "Let's get out of here." She murmured, and he smiled wide, picking up his untouched scotch and downing it in one go. Her throat went dry as she watched the movement of his neck as he swallowed, and she quickly finished her drink, trying not to lose control and threw herself at him in the middle of the ballroom. She grabbed his hand and snaked through the crowded area, successfully making it to the elevator nearest to her room.

"Come here." He pulled her to his chest once they were inside the elevator, his lips meeting hers and surely smudging her lipstick everywhere. She gasped and moaned as his hands moved to grip her ass, fingers digging in, and he pressed her up against the shiny golden wall, forcing her legs to wrap around his hips. The silk skirt of her dress rode up, exposing both of her legs to the chilly air as the elevator dinged, signifying they'd arrived on her floor. He put her down quickly, and she noticed he had red lipstick staining his lips. She was sure she was worse, but she smoothed her hair, clearing her throat before tugging him down the hallway. Once she made it to her room she almost gasped in relief, but Bucky slammed her against the door before she could even think to lock it.

He resumed their position from the elevator, his fingers gripping her thighs with almost bruising force. He slid his hands up and they reached her hips, his fingers slipping underneath the tiny strings that held up her underwear.

"Oh shit, I _am_ one lucky bastard." He peered down at her barely clothed bottom half with a hungry look before his hands came back out from under her skirt, hoisting her thighs up a bit higher as he carried her from her spot at the door. She liked being at an angle above him, she had the perfect height to rake her hands through his hair and down to his broad, thick shoulders that felt solid and sexy under her fingertips. She gasped as he set her down, pulling his lips from hers. He spun her around so she could see herself in the mirror, his physique just behind hers. "Look how beautiful you are." He whispered in her ear, his flesh hand snaking to the back of her dress and slowly pulling the zipper down. With nothing holding the silken dress up, it slipped off her body like water, revealing the bustier set. He groaned, and she was secretly glad that she didn't wear the black cotton panties and strapless bra she had planned on, this was a _much_ better set for a reunion with Bucky.

"Woah, hang on." She teetered in her heels as he pulled her back towards him, reaching down to take them off.

"No! Keep them on." He stopped her, and she glanced up at him with a shy smirk, straightening slowly and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're a perv." She grinned, pressing her lips back to his. He gripped her thighs, trying to hoist her back up but she stopped him, pushing her hands under his suit jacket and attempted to get it off without his help. He chuckled, shrugging it off and revealing the fitted dress shirt beneath that hugged his frame like a glove, and she groaned as she ran her hands over his torso. She tried to go for his tie next, but she was distracted by him nibbling on her lower lip. He backed her towards her bed, and she sighed at the soft sheets on her mostly bare skin.

"Is this all for me?" he asked, laying her out in front of him with a lecherous grin.

"Well, it was just for me, but I guess I can share with you, just this once." she teased as his hands travelled up her body, skimming over her breasts, and she yearned for him to just focus on one place dammit.

"Before we start" he breathed, face hovering over hers, his eyes dark and warm, capturing her attention. "I need to know that I have you again."

"Bucky, you never lost me." she nearly gasped as his hands gripped her waist tightly, a slow smile curling over his lips. And then he pressed a scorching kiss to her neck, and she was lost in the moment. She felt a low groan leave her as he peppered kisses down the column of her throat to her chest, closing his hot, wet mouth over one nipple through the fabric of the bustier. She shivered as he laved his tongue over the lace, wetting it and causing an aching friction against her sensitive flesh. His teeth latched onto the top of the cup, and he tugged downwards, revealing her from behind the constricting fabric. He went back to work, unobstructed, and she gasped when he left small love bites over her chest.

"You're gorgeous, doll." he murmured against her skin huskily.

"And you're wearing way too much." she grumbled, fingers going back to his tie and deftly unknotting it. "Don't get me wrong, the suit is really fucking hot, but right now I just want it _off_." she almost whined, fumbling to get the buttons undone on his shirt. He pushed her hands aside, ripping it open, buttons clattering over the floor. She swore that was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. "Holy shit you need to do that again sometime soon." she breathed, raking her fingers down his exposed, smooth chest.

"I hated that thing." he grumbled, shrugging the shirt off and tossing it to the floor.

"I'm going to buy you twelve more. Armani, maybe. Oh, hell yes to Armani." she gasped as he pushed her higher on the bed, his taut thigh between her legs as he dropped his mouth onto hers. His large arms wrapped around her and his chest pressed down on hers, and it felt so good to just be touching him that she almost didn't care if they stayed like that for the rest of the night. His lips moved slowly against hers, a scorching heat from his lips leaving her own swollen and begging for more as she ground herself against his leg.

"You're impatient this evening." he rasped teasingly, one of his hands pushing her hair back from her face.

"Can you blame me? I had a six month dry spell." she moaned as his other hand snaked around to squeeze her breast.

"I'm sorry." the hurt in his tone caused her heart to squeeze, and she brought her arms up to pull him into a hug.

"Just never do it again." she shook her head, and he nodded vigorously.

"Yes, ma'am." his lips captured hers in another scorching kiss. She groaned at his taste, she missed that so much. Instead of moving slow, it was much faster this time, frantic almost, and she felt him smile against her lips. Soon enough his mouth left hers, moving downwards again, and she groaned impatiently as he skimmed over her breasts again. Then he began to move down even more, and she gasped in anticipation, her hands tangling in his hair as his breath ghosted between her thighs, blowing cool air on her center.

"Oh my god." she groaned as he pressed a searing kiss over the fabric that had to be soaked through by now. His hands moved to grip her thighs gently, nudging them apart ever so slightly. She bucked her hips uncontrollably, practically begging him to get closer, and his metal hand snaked over her stomach, pressing her down firmly and holding her in place. His flesh hand moved towards her heat, pushing the fabric to the side to reveal her to him. Still holding her underwear to the side, his lips pressed against her swollen clit, and she gasped, a jolt of pleasure rocking her to her core. His metal hand prevented her from flinching or moving, or even sitting up further to see his actions, and her fingers raked over his scalp as his tongue flattened out over her lower lips. "Holy shit." she gasped as a finger slipped into her. It had been far too long since she'd felt him touching her like this.

He touched her slowly, using one finger pumping in and out at a languid pace, his lips ghosting over her bundle of nerves and causing her breathing to stutter every time he got closer. He was practically teasing her at this point, keeping her close to the edge without giving her enough to go over, and after what felt like hours she groaned in frustration.

"Bucky, go _faster_." she begged, pushing his face closer to her core with her hands and clenching her thighs around his head, probably suffocating him but she didn't care at that point, she really just needed to get off _now_. She felt him smile as he picked up the pace, curling his finger and creating more friction, and she threw her head back when his mouth moved against her clit, causing her to almost scream out at the sudden onslaught of sensation. Her thighs tightened around his head even more if that was possible, and she was sure the heels of her shoes were digging into his back, but at that moment frankly she didn't care as he brought her over the edge. She had to let go of his hair to grip the sheets next to her, grounding herself in the moment as her mind threatened to float off, her vision going white. She was practically boneless as he finished, her legs falling on either side of him as he crawled back up over her. She watched him, he looked dangerous, sexy, almost too good to be true as he got up onto his knees and braced himself over her.

"How was that, gorgeous?" he murmured, ghosting his lips over the shell of her ear. She panted, words escaping her as her weakened fingers came up to tug on his belt, trying to unfasten it and get him undressed the rest of the way. He chuckled, using one of his hands to help her in her endeavor. He unbuttoned his pants, pushing them off his delectable hips, revealing tight black boxer briefs. She greedily tugged those down as well, and he had to help her sit up as she struggled to get out of the rest of her things. She kicked the godforsaken heels off as soon as she had the chance, but her top half was another story.

"This fucking corset thing sucks." she grumbled as she tugged at the laces, trying her hardest to get out of it.

"Oh sweetheart, you've got marks from it." he frowned as they managed to wiggle it off, his hand ghosting over her sensitive skin where the ties had dug in.

"Beauty is pain." she shivered at his gentle touch. He managed to slip her underwear off her legs in a second before she was laid out in front of him, his hands trailing up and over her newly revealed skin. She grinned, pulling his hands closer to her, guiding his touch over her most sensitive areas. His hips nestled between her thighs, pressing his thick length against her. She let out a soft groan, moving against him, hoping to speed things up.

"Shh, hang on a moment gorgeous. I want to remember this." his eyes raked over her, a contented smile playing on his swollen lips.

"Bucky, I love you." she whispered, erasing what she'd said only a day before.

"I know." he smiled, leaning down to kiss her again, finally slipping himself into her, filling her up. She felt _whole_ again, those torn, ragged edges on her heart healed over. There were scars, sure, but his touch soothed her, made her feel like she was worth it. She felt tears leaking out of her eyes, and he pulled back, his movements stilling. "What's wrong?" he murmured, metal fingers smoothing the tears away.

"I missed you so much. I finally feel real again." she admitted, tugging him back down to her. "They're good tears, I promise." she smiled softly, and a relieved grin broke over his face as he pressed his lips against hers again, the motion of his hips starting once more. She felt happy with him, so much just melted off her shoulders when he touched her, looked at her even. Nobody else would ever be able to make her feel this way, just like nobody had ever enraptured her like this before. He was her perfect match, even if they were nothing alike, even if they were born in two different time periods… none of that mattered as long as they were together.

**So, I was supposed to update yesterday but I somehow completely forgot. I'm really sorry (even though I'm sure nobody noticed) and I'll try to get the next chapter up on Tuesday, which was the original plan for Ch 5. I hope you all liked what went on in this chapter, I tried to show the difficulties in their relationship as well as the dependence they have for each other, and how they'll win out every time to be together. Thanks so much for all of your support and love, it really makes me happy that I've been writing this and sharing it with you all! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: It's Not Over**

**This Chapter Contains Adult Themes**

"I fudged it." Don whispered into her phone as she hid in the bathroom.

"What are you talking about?" Tony's tone was easygoing, not seeming to be concerned with her early morning phone call.

"I got back together with him last night, I gave in so easily." her hushed tone was sharp, and Tony was quiet for a moment.

"What the hell did I tell you? Didn't I say you deserve better?" he demanded, his voice sour and less friendly.

"Tony, the thing is I'm not sure I can get any better." she sighed, shaking her head as she murmured. "He's the one for me. I don't _want_ anyone else." she explained.

"The kid's gonna be so upset. Does this mean you're staying in Wakanda?" Tony asked, disdain dripping from his voice.

"No, I'm going to come home eventually, but I'm not done with my work here yet." she traced her finger over the lines in the marble countertop.

"And are you bringing loverboy back then?" his tone was haughty, and she realized he was actually upset with her.

"Tony, I haven't had this conversation with him yet. Can you chill out?" she mumbled, a bit ashamed. She had been so happy when she woke up nestled next to him that morning. But then, in a panic, she'd called Tony. She regretted it now, but it was too late to remedy that mistake. She had to take his wrath now.

"No, I cannot chill out! I don't approve of you putting yourself back into this toxic situation right when you were thriving outside of it!" he shouted, and she jumped, slightly taken aback.

"Toxic situation? Tony, what are you even _talking_ about?" she asked with a frown, tightening her grip on the phone.

"You left school for this guy, almost wasted six years of education, but you managed to reel it in and do great things. You're still a kid, Donatella, no matter what you say you still need to figure out your life." Tony sighed.

"I wasn't leaving school, I just went on a break. And he's the reason that I met you and Peter, right? Otherwise I'd be in Seoul right now, on the other side of the world, working with artificial tissue instead of the Bridge." she shot back, reminding him of the reason he was even able to be close with her.

"I'm not saying that you should never have gone with him in the first place. I'm saying you should know better by now!" he was very stern with her, and it was quite shocking. Usually he was easygoing, made the most of her situation. But this… this was not a good conversation.

"Tony, why are you acting like this? I figured you'd be at least a little happy for me…" she bit her lip, trying to keep the waver out of her voice.

"Because I want the best for you, and he isn't. You deserve someone who can always be there for you. I made my own mistakes, I put Pepper through hell these past years… and I don't think you should settle for someone who doesn't know how to appreciate you." Tony explained, his voice softening. She realized he saw too much of himself in Bucky, and Tony… well, she knew he had self image issues, so seeing the worst of himself in another person must have been hell.

"Tony…" she paused. "Thank you, for wanting the best for me. But you and Pepper are wonderful. You love each other so much, no matter what, and I think that's admirable. Love isn't easy." she sighed, slumping against the counter. "And I love him. No matter what, I love him. It's fucked up, but it's true. Even if things go south, if something happens… there will always be a piece of me that belongs to him."

"You're too smart for your age." he chuckled.

"Tony, I'm twenty five." she groaned, rubbing her hand over her face.

"That's young, kid. I'm not saying I'm glad you're settling for Mr. Roboto, but I'm just happy that you're doing better. And if he hurts you again, he's gonna have a lot more than just Iron Man trying to skin him alive." he threatened sternly.

"Love you too, Tony." she chuckled, and he let out a small laugh as well.

"I'll talk with you later, kid. Don't get into too much trouble." he warned.

"I could say the same to you." she smiled, saying their goodbyes as they hung up. She sighed, toying with the phone before quietly exiting the bathroom. Bucky was sitting on the bed, naked except for his underwear, a sleepy smile on his face as he saw her.

"Good morning beautiful." he grinned, standing up with a stretch and coming forward to wrap her up in his arms. She sighed, content to just stand there all day.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked, frowning. She knew how hard it was for him to get a full night's rest, and she hated to think that she woke him before he was ready.

"No, but I did hear you on the phone. Is everything okay?" he frowned, his eyes glimmering with concern as he looked down into her face.

"Yes, it's fine, just a little fight with Tony." she breathed an annoyed sigh. "Everything is better now, though. Don't worry." she smiled, slipping her arms around him.

"Are you sure?" he studied her expression intently.

"Positive." she grinned, pressing her lips to the edge of his jaw. His frown turned into a smirk.

"Well then, I say we go jump in the shower before we go and get some breakfast…" he purred, his hands moving down to grab her hips.

"I've got to get to the lab, Bucky." she giggled, trying to unravel herself from his arms.

"No you don't. Shuri left a note saying you have the day off." he smirked, ducking his head down to graze his lips over hers. "So I get you all to myself." his chest rumbled with his words, and he backed her towards the bathroom door again, pressing a kiss to her lips. She sighed in content as he combed his fingers through her hair gently, tugging deliciously at her scalp and scratching his fingers over her roots. She was sure her hair was mussed beyond recognition, but she didn't really care at that point. His hand reached behind her, turning the knob to start the shower, and his foot kicked behind them to shut the door. His fingers nimbly untied her robe, causing it to drop on the floor and leave her bare in seconds. He frowned, his finger tracing over bite marks and bruises.

"What?" she asked as he sighed.

"I didn't mean to hurt you…" his expression was pained. She reached up to pull his lips down to hers again.

"Don't worry, wonderboy. I like it when you're a little rough." she smirked, stepping backwards into the shower, feeling the hot water race over her body. He groaned, quickly shucking his underwear off and hopping in after her. He pulled her to him hungrily, practically growling when she raked her fingers down his back, the smooth, slick skin felt far too familiar against her fingertips. He pressed her against the cool tiled wall, hoisting her up with one hand while the other massaged the back of her neck. She had to hold on tightly, it was a little slippery.

"You feel too good." he groaned, resting his forehead on the wall beside her head as she ground against him.

"I thought we were supposed to be showering." she teased breathily. He grumbled, setting her back down and she grabbed the soap and a loofah, lathering it up in her hands before turning to wash him down. He sighed happily as she worked his muscles, relaxing in the hot spray with her.

"Feels nice." he mumbled, and she let out a laugh as he snatched the loofah from her. "Okay, my turn." he gave her a lecherous grin, slowly scrubbing her down, focusing on her more… intimate areas.

"You're a tease." she groaned out, gripping onto his soapy biceps as he torturously snaked his hand between her legs. He just smirked, finishing with the loofah and hanging it back on its hook. She pushed him under the spray, rinsing the suds from their bodies. "Here, hand me the shampoo?" she held her hand out with a smile, and he dutifully gave her the bottle. She poured some of the soap into her hand, tugging him down and setting the bottle off to the side. She lathered his hair, and he gave a soft groan as she raked her fingertips over his scalp, scrubbing well. "Close your eyes." she murmured, pulling him back into the spray to rinse the soap out.

"You take such good care of me." he teased with a smile, pushing his wet hair back from his face. A small flutter went through her stomach at the sight of him, god she could look at him all day. He gave her the same treatment, gentle fingers massaging her head, and she clung to him, her eyes closing from the feeling. She loved having her hair washed, it felt so good. He nearly drowned her when he put her under the spray, though, tilting her head so the water shot directly into her face. She struggled out with a scowl, shooting him a look.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she moaned, grabbing the bottle of conditioner and putting it through his hair.

"No. I thought it would be funny. What's this?" he asked as she slicked his hair back.

"Conditioner. It makes your hair soft." she explained, and he nodded, a small smile coming over his face. He mimicked her actions on her after, and she explained to him they should let it sit for a moment to work well. He, of course had other ideas, pinning her against the wall again before placing hungry kisses over her lips and throat.

"I love your red hair, sweetheart." he groaned into her neck.

"It's copper, angel." she corrected him, and he snorted.

"You look so cute all wet like this." he smirked. She rolled her eyes, shoving his chest.

"I probably look like a drowned rat. You look like you're in a swimsuit ad. Should we get you into modeling?" she frowned, glancing him up and down as he slipped his knee between her thighs. "No, no, I wouldn't want to share you." she breathed, grinding her slick heat against his already wet thigh. He groaned, peppering a few kisses over her pulse point.

"You don't look like a drowned rat. But, for the record, I don't want to share you either." his hand slipped down and traced down her slit, and she shuddered, grasping his shoulders.

"Just fuck me already." she gasped as he spread his fingers inside her.

"Your wish is my command." he smirked, pressing her against the wall.

Fifteen minutes later they finally rinsed the conditioner out, pruny and boneless as they stumbled back out of the bathroom. She groaned as she collapsed onto the bed, her robe back on and tied tightly around her waist.

"Looks like someone doesn't want us to leave the room." Bucky commented, moving towards the small table in the room that held a wide assortment of breakfast dishes.

"Lucky for us." she grinned, sitting up and moving to sit in one of the chairs. Bucky followed, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, sitting low on his hips. She felt the feeling stirring deep in her again, but pushed it down, knowing there would be more time for that later. She sighed, pulling a plate towards herself and nibbling on a piece of bacon.

"Steve told me I shouldn't give up on you." Bucky mentioned as he bit into a piece of toast. She paused, swallowing her bite before replying.

"Why do you mention that?" she asked. He sighed, pouring himself a glass of orange juice from the pitcher on the table.

"Because last night was going to be my last try." he admitted. She took another slow bite, thinking to herself. After last night… he was going to give up on them. Like she wanted him to, like she had told him to. She swallowed, hard.

"We could have missed this." she murmured, setting her piece of bacon down. He sighed, leaning back.

"Don, we're supposed to be together. After today I'm never going to give up, I don't even know why I decided to stop trying after last night. Without you… I'm a shell. I don't feel right." he shook his head.

"It's the same with me." she admitted, reaching out to put her hand over his, and he flipped his palm so she could hold his hand. She smiled, tracing her fingers over the lines in his real hand. "I don't think I've ever felt so lost before. And now, well, I feel like everything is right again."

"I should've come for you." he admitted guiltily.

"You should have. But, I forgive you. You were just trying to fix things… but you don't have to do it all alone. You have me now. Okay?" she soothed him, his blue eyes heavy with emotion as he looked at her through dark lashes.

"I know Tony doesn't like that we're back together. I heard you this morning on the phone." he replied. She winced.

"It's not really his business who I'm with." she replied uneasily. He nodded.

"I know. But I know he's important to you now. Peter, too. Hell, they've known you almost as long as I have." he sighed.

"Technically I met them both before I met you." he gave her an exasperated look. "But you know me best. That's all that matters." she patted his hand before going back to her food. He gave her a soft smile, digging back into his own meal.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked, taking a large swig of his orange juice.

"I could probably think of a few things." she stood from her seat, slinking over and settling into his lap.

"Oh really." an interested gleam came into his expression, and she leaned forwards, her lips brushing against his ear, causing him to shiver.

"Let's go for a walk." she whispered, standing quickly and dancing over to the closet as he tried to snatch her back.

"You're the tease!" he called as she smirked, and she disappeared inside to get dressed. She chuckled, picking out a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top, knowing it would be warm outside. She got dressed quickly, pulling her hair back into a bun and tying on some shoes. "Those are… wow." he replied, glancing up and down her exposed legs. "Something I'll never get used to in the twenty first century." he sighed, sidling up next to her.

"We need to get you some clothes." she frowned, glancing down at the rumpled suit on the ground.

"Someone else thought that too." he gestured at the folded stack of clothes on the small table near the door.

"How many people have a key to my room?" she frowned, blinking as he stood and dropped his towel.

"Hey, my hut doesn't even have a door. I think you got the better deal out of the two of us." he smirked, tugging a pair of jeans up and over his long, delicious legs. When he shrugged a t-shirt on she frowned, it was a bit too loose for her tastes but he still looked good.

"Hang on." she held up her finger, coming over to put his hair up into a loose bun to match hers.

"Why does everyone want to play with my hair all of a sudden?" he asked, seemingly exasperated. She patted the top of his head with a grin, gripping his hand and tugging him towards the door after he had toed on some shoes.

"It's so pretty, we can't help it." she admitted, leading him down the hall. He lagged behind, his fingers linked with hers, and she smiled at the feeling of his warm palm against hers. Once they were in the elevator her wrapped his arms around her, tugging her into a sweet, innocent kiss.

"There's gardens by the lake if you'd like to go see them." he mentioned as they hit the ground level. She grinned.

"That sounds lovely, lead the way would you?" she asked sweetly, linking her arm through his.

"I don't know why you call me that. You're the angel here." he chuckled, tugging her along, keeping her close to his side. She sighed, oddly content with the way things were turning out. He led her towards the small hut where he had been living, the sun shining brightly over the lush trees and grass surrounding the lake.

"This is such a gorgeous place." she smiled, looking out over the water.

"I'm in a beautiful country with a beautiful woman, I think I'm in heaven." he teased, leaning down to press his lips against her forehead. She beamed up at him, hugging him tightly.

"You're surprisingly sweet, Sergeant." she teased, and he breathed out a sigh.

"I'm not a Sergeant anymore. I'm not even a soldier." he shook his head, wrapping his arms around her.

"Doesn't matter what you are." she shook her head, nestling her chin onto his shoulder. "As long as you're mine." if anyone else was saying this mushy crap, she would have yarfed, but since it was for him she loved it.

"You know I'm not all the way fixed yet…" he frowned, pulling back slightly. She sighed, stepping out from his hold and taking a seat on the grass.

"I don't care." she smiled. "You're still my Bucky."

"I'm always gonna be yours, doll." he smirked, settling down beside her.

"Always?" she teased, flopping down on her back and looking up at him with a grin.

"Absolutely." he confirmed. "Forever. I promise." he settled down beside her, clasping their hands together between them

"You know, when we first met you barely even talked to me. Now I can't get you to shut up." she teased him again, rolling slightly onto her side to look at him. He chuckled, glancing down at her.

"You're my girl. I want to share everything with you." he replied cheekily. Her heart fluttered and she pressed her forehead against his shoulder.

"You're such a flirt." she giggled into him.

"Only for you. It's always you." he replied quietly.

"So... I was talking to Tony this morning…" she sighed, bringing her hand up to trace patterns over his chest. This wasn't something she'd wanted to bring up so soon, but it was inevitable, and she'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later.

"About how he hates me." he joked. She slapped his side gently, giving him a sour look.

"No, about me going back to New York." his body straightened as he looked down at her, his brow furrowing.

"You're going back?" he asked, turning onto his side to face her. He propped himself up on one elbow, causing his bicep to flex enticingly.

"No, not yet. But in a few months I planned to be back in New York, I've got a lot of work to finish there." she explained. "And… I don't want to leave you here." she bit her lip, gauging his expression. He looked concerned, but his face slowly relaxed.

"Then I'll go with you." he smiled warmly, causing her to sigh in relief. "I just want to be with you."

"Me too." she replied. "Just warning you, I don't live in the house anymore… It's too far out of the city to drive every day, so now I've got a small apartment near Queens."

"Queens, huh? I'm more of a Brooklyn guy myself." he chuckled, reaching his hand up to push her bangs back from her face.

"More like Brooklyn bitch." she teased. His hand reached down, squishing her cheeks together. "Hey!" she protested as he wiggled her head around.

"Pipe down, you deserve it." he cracked another grin as he pulled his hand away. She reached out and grabbed it, lacing her fingers through his.

"Maybe I did. But you're gonna get it one day when you least expect it." she threatened, and he chuckled. It felt like back in Bucharest, smiling and teasing each other. It was so nice to feel so comfortable, nothing riding on their shoulders, nothing serious weighing them down. She was so happy here with him.

"Mr. White Wolf!" a voice shouted, jolting her from her reverie. They sat up, noticing a few kids running over from the nearby huts. Bucky stood, reaching a hand down to help her up. She dusted her shorts off as the three young kids made it over. "You have an arm! Is it vibranium?" one of them asked in a hushed voice, clearly excited.

"Did the princess make it?" another asked.

"No, actually, she did." Bucky gestured to her. She gave a hesitant wave, and one kid reached out to grab her hands.

"How did you do it? How does it move?" the child asked excitedly, and soon the other two were jumping in front of her as well.

"She and Princess Shuri designed it, and then she put it together with vibranium." Bucky explained, and she smiled at him gratefully. She wasn't quite sure what to say to the kids.

"You know the princess too?" one boy shouted.

"Yes, she and I work together in the labs." she revealed, and one girl grinned widely.

"I got brought down there once! The princess showed me a big screen with a lot of math on it!" she said.

"Yes, a lot of math goes on down there, but also a lot of important things too." Donatella smiled.

"My mommy told me you're the doctor that cured cancer, is that true?" the first boy asked. Bucky glanced at her, surprise crossing his face.

"Well, it's not a cure, it's a treatment…" she corrected, and he gasped.

"So it's true! My uncle will be saved!" he beamed, and her heart ached at his gap-toothed smile.

"Well, that's why I made it. I wanted to save people like your uncle." Donatella explained.

"You cured cancer?" Bucky asked, confusion clear in his tone.

"We'll talk about that later…" she laughed hesitantly.

"I heard that you help people walk again when they get hurt." the little girl looked up with her, awe shining from her wide brown eyes.

"Yes, I did make something that helps with that. It's called the Bridge, I also used it in his arm." she gestured towards the shiny metal, and the kids gasped and grabbed at Bucky, twisting and turning trying to see it.

"What does the Bridge look like?" the one who hadn't said anything yet asked.

"It's a very small chip, it's blue and it's like a transmitter. The brain waves that travel through your body sometimes get stuck and don't make it to where they're supposed to be, and this helps to get the brain waves where they need to go." she told him. Bucky smiled softly as he watched her explain the complicated technology to the children.

"Don't you guys have chores to be doing?" Bucky asked sternly, and the kids shrieked as he made a playful lunge at them. They scattered, laughing and jumping as they ran back to their homes, and he turned to her, smirk fading as his expression turned confused again. "You cured cancer?" he repeated his earlier question, and she laughed sheepishly.

"Uh, well, it's a treatment using biomolecular regenerative technology. Basically what it does is it's like a nanobot that destroys cancerous cells and replaces them with healthy cells." she explained, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You're smart, gorgeous, and perfect for me. How'd I ever get so lucky?" he shook his head, his lips curled into a smile.

"You must have done something right in a past life to end up with me." she rolled her eyes, teasing him.

"Anything else I should know? Like when you found the time to invent the Bridge? Exactly what is it?" he asked, and she fell into an explanation of the work she'd been doing over the past few months as they walked towards his hut. Once inside, they sat at a small rickety table, and she went in depth on some of the new technology she'd been working with. His eyes lit up, and her heart ached. He really loved to learn.

"Any more questions?" she teased.

"Just one." a smile played over his lips.

"And what is that?" she asked as he leaned forward. His lips ghosted over hers, and she leaned forwards, eyelids fluttering shut as she attempted to join them in a kiss. He pulled back at the last moment, smirk evident on his face as she huffed in annoyance.

"Are you ready for lunch?" he teased cheekily. She groaned, standing.

"Yes, we can go eat." she held a hand out for him. He gripped it, tugging her down into his lap.

"Hang on just a minute." he shrugged, gripping her waist and pulling her closer. "For a second, I just want to feel you with me. You were really good with the kids out there." he mentioned.

"They were smart. It was easy to talk to them." she shrugged. "Reminds me of a few kids at a science fair I spoke at a few years ago…" she smiled.

"Science fair, huh?" he smiled wistfully. "Man, would our kids rule the science fair or what?" she froze, and his smile seemed to drop once he realized what he had said. "I-I didn't mean, I don't-"

"Bucky." she cut him off with her hand pressing against his cheek. "It's okay." she smiled. God, sometimes she forgot how much older he was. He grew up in a time where he'd have a wife and kids by now, and it was no wonder he'd thought about having a family… but with her? She wasn't sure whether to burst with excitement or freak out.

"We… it's too soon to think about that stuff with us." he shook his head.

"I know. Plus, I'm kind of too young to be thinking about a… family." she choked out. He looked at her with a pained smile.

"Yeah, I suppose so." he sighed. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Bucky, I'm not saying I wouldn't want kids with you." she breathed out, stroking her fingertips across his stubbled cheek. He nodded, hand coming up to circle her wrist, pressing her palm against his lips. "I would love that someday." she mentioned, not wanting to shut down the idea. He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing another kiss to her hand.

"Please, I don't… I don't want to think about that." he gave a sharp shake of his head. She reeled, feeling like he'd slapped her. What did that mean? Not wanting to talk about it? He was the one who brought it up!

"What are you talking about?" she pulled her hand from his grip, and he lowered his gaze to his lap.

"I don't… I found something out while I was here." he paused. Her stomach twisted. What was going on?

"Well it seems like you don't really like the thought of having kids with me." she snapped, crossing her arms and standing.

"No, please, that's not it." he shook his head frantically, a few strands coming loose from his bun. "I just…" he looked pained.

"Buck, what is it? You can tell me." she pleaded with him as his blue eyes met hers.

"The doctors think I might be… sterile." his words hung heavy in the air.

"Oh, angel…" she sighed, stepping forwards to wrap his shoulders in her arms, pulling him into her chest. "It's okay."

"We don't know what they all did to me while I was over there, but that's something they did, to their… assassins." he mumbled into her chest.

"Even if you are…" she trailed off, smoothing her hand over the side of his face. "It doesn't matter to me. We'll face that problem when we get there." she nodded determinedly. He let out a shuddering breath.

"I want to say you deserve someone who can give you a family." he sighed, a tired chuckle leaving his body as he pulled back from the embrace. "But I'm too selfish." he looked guilty, his hand slipping to the back of her neck and pulling her face down, pressing his lips against hers desperately. She felt his sorrow, his guilt, his shame.

"Hey. I love you. No matter what, okay?" she smiled down at him as she pulled back. "We're in this together. You're always going to be my person."

"And you'll always be mine." he sighed in content, pulling her back down for another kiss.

Somehow she knew that everything would turn out alright, as long as he was by her side.

**This chapter was shorter than the last by about 3k words, but I feel like this was a good place to end it. There's a lot more to come in this portion of the story, and unfortunately this isn't the biggest problem they face... sorry. But I introduced a lot of stuff so far that needs to be brought to a close, I'm not sure if you guys have seen the foreshadowing for some of it but it's very important to Donatella's life. Just want to remind everybody that this portion of the story is entirely made up and doesn't take place in the MCU (obviously, since I created a character with an entire life outside of it) and the things that will happen WILL affect future major events that took place in the MCU within this story (I'm sure some of you can see what I mean by this). **

**Once again, thank you for ALL of your love and support on this story, it really means so much to me and makes me realize that I should be sharing the stories I write instead of keeping them in a folder on my desktop. I really hope you guys enjoy the ups and downs of this story and understand that no character is perfect. I appreciate each and every comment (even the ones where y'all brutally criticize my facts) and I look forward to your reactions more than you realize.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Burnin for You**

She felt like she was on top of the world. Nothing could bring her down at this point. The day after they'd officially gotten back together, she was back in the lab, Bucky going in for his next round of treatment.

"I'll be right here the whole time, okay?" she smiled softly down at him. He gave her a weak grin in reply, gripping her hand tightly as the straps tightened on his body. "I'll always be here." she whispered. His eyelids fluttered closed as he sucked in a sharp breath, an electric probe going deep into his skull. He tensed from the feeling, and she squeezed his hand sharply, making sure he knew she was still there. Shuri told her the treatment was going better than expected, only thinking one or two more sessions would be necessary. He let out a low groan as Shuri began her process, flinching and seizing up every so often. He didn't scream as much this time, and Steve looked relieved at the progress that was being made. She had to realize she wasn't the only one who had lost him, Steve had known him much longer, fought with him, _for _him in the war and even grew up with him. She made a mental note to go visit the Captain America exhibit in DC, wanting to read the story for herself one day. Bucky didn't always like to talk about that time, as it had been during a time he felt he had lost. He seemed to have lost a lot, in her opinion.

Thinking back to the previous day, when he revealed his, well, health concerns, she let her imagination run wild. If he'd survived the war, gone home after the battles, never lost his arm… He'd most likely be dead right now. He could have had a wonderful life, probably married to a gorgeous woman that took proper care of the veteran. He'd have had many kids, grandkids that would adore him, he was so sweet with children… her heart squeezed. She'd have never met him. God, his life was so hard, and she wished he would never have gone through those terrible things. The brainwashing, the killing, the constant memory wipes… But without those, he would never have come to her for help. She would never have met him, never felt a love like this. Was it selfish of her to be grateful for all that had happened?

Her heart squeezed with shame. Would she have ever found anyone as perfect for her as he was? She would probably still be alone for the rest of her days, thrown into her work. She wouldn't have become close with Peter and Tony, never have had the opportunity to work with Shuri. Everything in her life at the moment teetered dangerously on the edge of their relationship. Without him she was nothing, she realized. She'd be alone in Korea, working with strangers, living as a shell of the person she was meant to be. She wouldn't be doing her own research, she'd be working on a team for someone else. She wouldn't be _her_. Not without him.

But, he would be something. He'd still be a part of this wonderful team. He didn't _need_ her for anything.

Wasn't that how life worked, though? Your experiences shape you, make you the person you're meant to be. Was this who she was meant to be? She could never dream of being someone else, she didn't want to be any different than who she was with him. God, that train of thought sucked. She just wanted to be happy with him, she should stop dwelling on what could have been. But… he deserved so much. He deserved the _world_. Could she give that to him?

"Doctor?" a voice addressing her snapped her from her thoughts. She blinked back unshed tears quickly, glancing up at Steve.

"You can call me Don, you know." she smiled.

"I just… is everything okay?" he frowned, looking at her with a concerned expression. God, he had the same puppy dog eyes that Bucky used on her.

"Yeah, I'm just lost in my thoughts… A lot has happened." she smoothed her hand over Bucky's cheek, causing his tensed muscles to relax. "I want to do something special for him, something good…" she frowned. "He deserves something good."

"I think you just being here with him is more than he could ever ask for." Steve replied with a wistful smile. "He had a lot of fun when we were younger, sure, we went out with beautiful dames and had good fun. Well, he had fun at least, I mostly stood on the sidelines." he chuckled. "Once, we had to ride back to our neighborhood on a freezer truck, he wasted three bucks trying to win a stuffed toy for a girl named Dot, and then we spent the last of our money on hot dogs." she laughed at this, glancing down at the man in question.

"Dot was one lucky girl." she mentioned.

"But... he never actually cared about them." Steve continued. "He had fun, they all adored him, they all wanted more from him, but he got… bored. He could never give them what they wanted, they wanted someone steady to go with them. But he…" Steve trailed off. "He was always looking for someone else."

"Really." she replied, breathless as her throat constricted.

"And now he finally found her." Steve looked up with a soft smile. "You were the one he was always looking for. And he found you, a lifetime later. Lucky bastard." he chuckled.

"I think I'm the lucky one." she whispered, gripping his hand tightly again.

"We're almost done here." Shuri interrupted the conversation. Donatella glanced up, noticing that one of the probes had been removed, the other in the process of retracting. "Let him lay down a while, to recover. We should be able to begin the next bout of treatment in two days. We've almost got it all."

"Thank you." she smiled at Shuri as the doctors left the room.

"I would also like to invite you and Sergeant Barnes to dinner this evening. You as well, Steve." Shuri grinned at them. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" she echoed, frowning suspiciously. "What kind of surprise?"

"A good one." Shuri called out, already leaving the room. "Please dress nicely, and be there at six-thirty sharp!" she looked at Steve with confusion as Bucky became aware of his surroundings once more.

"How'd it go?" he croaked out, pulling his hand from hers in order to readjust his grip, lacing their fingers together loosely.

"They got a lot done. Only one or two more sessions, they think." she replied with a smile. "Also, we've got dinner with the Princess tonight. So, I'm thinking you wear another suit?" she grinned at him.

"He whined enough the first time, that jerk. You can help him get ready this time." Steve chuckled at the pair.

"Punk." Bucky replied, giving him a firm punch to the shoulder. Steve barely even flinched, and she realized she was practically a child compared to the two super soldiers. They were of a different breed. It was a wonder how they managed to keep their relationship through all of the things they'd gone through.

"I should leave you two to talk, I feel like I've hogged Bucky enough for the past few days." she smiled, an embarrassed flush coming over her cheeks as Steve gave her a knowing look.

"Well, you two left the gala before I even had the chance to talk with you, so that might be an understatement." the Captain joked. She let out a bark of laughter, standing and pressing a kiss to Bucky's forehead.

"Let me know if you need help getting ready. There's some work to be done, so I'll be in the lab." she smiled, leaving the two behind to chat. Once she entered the room, though, she was nearly jumped by Shuri.

"So now that you two lovebirds have reconnected, I think my work here is done." she grinned at Don.

"Your work here is done?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Well, your work with prosthetics is unmatched, I assure you, but you've managed to work out all of the kinks with the technology. I do not believe you need to be present for the testing portion." Shuri explained, waving her hand towards their assemblage of artificial organs.

"What are you saying?" she frowned.

"I'm saying once Sergeant Barnes is through his recovery period, you will be able to return to New York." Shuri elaborated. Donatella blinked, then squinted at the girl.

"I've only been here a week…" she trailed off.

"And you should only need to stay another twelve days maximum." she replied.

"Are you sure? You asked me to stay for a few months?" she furrowed her brows. "It seems a bit soon, is all."

"You work very fast, Donnie." Shuri grinned. "I would not stress about it."

"Well, thank you…" she murmured. Shuri made her leave early, stating that since it was a Friday, they wouldn't have to stay in the lab all day. She dragged her feet, going back to her room as slow as possible, trying to waste time. She had just over two hours until she'd need to be at Shuri's dinner. When she entered her room, however, Bucky was there waiting for her.

"They gave me this to wear." he picked up Wakandan dress clothes, presenting them to her. A black shirt that resembled T'Challa's, with silver threads over the front instead of gold. A pair of plain black pants joined, as well as black dress shoes.

"It's not a suit, but you'll still look gorgeous, angel." she grinned, re-folding the clothes and setting them on the edge of the bed. "I've still got to find something to wear." she murmured, turning towards her closet.

"I've got a better use of our time." he sidled up behind her, hands gripping her hips tightly.

"You're literally insatiable!" she gasped out a laugh as he pulled her to him.

"I can't help it… you're irresistible." he smirked, spinning her quickly to press her against the wall.

"Can I at least pick out something to wear first? I'm sure I have a cocktail dress somewhere in there…" she peered over her shoulder into the closet, skimming the rack, but her attention was gathered by Bucky's lips pressing searing hot kisses into her arched neck. "Oh… or we can do this." she quickly forgot about other things she needed to be doing, letting herself get lost in his touch.

"Have I ever told you," he panted out as she returned his kisses to his own neck. "I love when you wear black?"

"Are we still on the subject of clothes?" she asked as his hands roamed to the hem of her pencil skirt, shoving it upwards.

"As long as I can get you out of them, doll, I don't care." he groaned out as she shimmied out of her blazer. She tried pushing him towards the bed, but he wouldn't budge, instead he lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist. Her shoes fell off quickly as he pressed her even tighter against the wall, the heels of her feet digging into the top of his ass.

"The bed?" she prompted him to move. The rough stubble on his chin dragged across her sensitive neck, causing her to gasp.

"Not yet." he pressed her to the wall using just his hips, his hands moving to the buttons on her shirt and nimbly undoing them.

"Angel, usually I'd agree but I've been pushed up against the wall an insane amount of times over the past few days. Bed please?" she grinned down at him as he popped open her last button, slipping it off her shoulders and revealing the very sexy black lace bra that seemed to drive him wild. He groaned, walking backwards as her lips pressed down to his again, a slow heat building in her. She was probably littered in love bites and small bruises by now, but she didn't care, as long as they were from him.

After an hour of rolling around between the sheets, she banished him to the corner of the room while she showered and got ready, attempting some beachy curls with her curling wand that seemed to lay just too flat for her tastes. The small waves would have to do. After applying a generous amount of makeup, making sure to cover the small hickey on her neck that _somebody_ insisted on doing even after she complained.

Once she was done in the bathroom, Bucky jumped in the shower while she found a deep violet cocktail dress shoved in the back of her closet. It was modest enough, sleeveless while still covering everything important. She'd assumed she would be wearing it to a business event, but this was close enough. Pairing it with a pair of nude heels, she turned to see Bucky struggling with his shirt.

"Does this look right?" his buttons were in the wrong holes.

"Here, hang on." she chuckled, stepping over and fixing it for him. "There, perfect."

"Thank you, gorgeous." he leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him by pressing her fingertips against his lips.

"I just put lipgloss on." she defended her actions, and he rolled his eyes.

"Shall we?" he held his arm out to her and she took it with a grin.

"I wonder what the surprise is." she mentioned, and he shrugged slightly.

"She said it was a good one." Bucky said as they approached the doorway. A member of the Dora Milaje opened the doors for them, letting them step through. She glanced around the dining hall, the room was lit up by golden wall sconces, and the table was set with the finest china.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up, kid." a familiar voice rang through the room, and she froze, her head snapping to the side of the room where the bar was located.

"Tony? Peter!" she cried out, and Peter rushed at her, throwing his arms around her. She was wrenched from Bucky's side with the force of it, and she ruffled his hair before turning to see Tony had approached the pair. She caught the tail end of him glaring daggers at Bucky before he turned his charming grin on her, pulling her into a quick hug.

"We missed you!" Peter shouted, pulling her into another side hug before turning to Bucky. "Mr. Winter Soldier, sir, I hope there's no hard feelings about the first time we met." he reached his arm out, polite as ever, trying to shake Bucky's hand. He just grimaced down at Peter's gesture, and the kid chuckled nervously before sticking his hands in his pockets. "O-okay…"

"Listen up here Robocop-"

"Tony." Donatella cut him off with a warning tone.

"Daph, this needs to be said." Tony held a hand up to her.

"Daph?" Peter muttered in confusion.

"Okay, Barnes, here's the deal. I don't care what happened in the past. I don't care what's going on with you right now. But Donnie is like a daughter to me, and I just want to let you know that if you ever do anything to hurt her, you won't just have me to deal with. You're gonna have to deal with the whole squad, all of the active Avengers. Got it tinman?" Tony demanded.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Bucky glanced down at her, a tiny smile playing on the edges of his lips. She was about to say something else, but the door opened and Steve walked in, a smile on his face as he saw Donnie and Bucky, but it faded as he saw the surprise guests. Tony's face fell, and he glanced away from his old friend awkwardly.

"Tony." Don captured his attention. "I think you two need to have a conversation." she gestured towards the Captain, and he glanced over with a frown as Steve slowly approached.

"Trust me, kid. This is something that can't be fixed with a simple apology." he shook his head. "I've got nothing to say to Capsicle." Steve was still across the room, T'Challa having stopped him for a quick word. He glanced over nervously every few seconds.

"I'm not saying it will all be fixed. But it's a start." she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a quick squeeze before nudging him towards his old friend. There was a very awkward greeting, but she looked away quickly, trying to give them some privacy.

"So, Mr. Winter Soldier sir…" Peter began to speak again. "Did you… how did you… do you like ice cream?" he folded his arms uncomfortably, wedging his hands under his arms. She chuckled a bit before stepping in, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.

"Peter, why don't you tell Bucky about what we worked on in June?" she prompted, and Peter's eyes lit up as he began explaining their work with his web-shooters, and Bucky actually looked interested. He asked a lot of questions about the physics of how they worked, and she smiled, feeling prideful of the smart men in her life.

"Hello Peter, I am glad you could make it." Shuri approached just as Peter had finished explaining the tension control.

"Well, Mr. Stark said as long as we just stay the weekend it will be fine. My aunt May thinks I'm at a weekend science convention, though." he frowned, and Don let out a small chuckle.

"Well, what your aunt does not know will not hurt her." Shuri waved it off. "Did you like your surprise?" she turned to Don with a grin. She smiled back widely, pulling the girl into a tight hug.

"It's wonderful, thank you so much for inviting them out here." she gushed, stepping back into Bucky's side.

"Yeah, back home we're like one big happy family." Peter chimed in, stepping closer. "We go to the mall a bunch and she buys me sandwiches from my favorite deli."

"I feel like you get a lot of people to like you by giving them food." Bucky narrowed his eyes at her, and a bubble of laughter escaped her.

"If it ain't broke, why fix it?" she shrugged. He cracked a grin, and Peter looked almost… awed.

"Okay, I see what she sees in you now, Mr. Winter Soldier sir. You're a very handsome guy." Peter let out a low whistle. "I-I mean, not that I'm attracted to you or anything, I'm just saying from an objective viewpoint-"

"Peter, why don't you join me and pick a seat at the table?" Shuri interrupted, and Donatella hid a laugh behind a cough. The kid just got so cute when he was flustered.

"You sure you really like those guys?" Bucky's smile widened.

"Yep. You can't get rid of them, so don't even think about it." she chuckled.

"Worth a try." he shrugged, leading her over towards where Steve and Tony had just embraced in a hug.

"Hey guys, how is everything going?" she asked, trying to keep the mood light. The two men looked dejected, but at the same time like a huge weight had come off their shoulders.

"Good." Steve nodded, a hesitant smile on his face.

"He's agreed to come to the wedding, which is all that matters to me." Tony shrugged, flashing a relieved grin at her.

"Oh, Pepper will be so excited! I've been texting her about flower arrangements, I took a few pictures of some flowers here to send to her…" she chatted for a bit with Tony as Bucky and Steve went off to the side, having a hushed conversation that seemed to put Steve more at ease.

"As long as you can help us settle our arguments about the wedding, nothing else would make me happier personally. Just make sure it's all in good taste, you know how gaudy Miss Potts can be." Tony smirked, teasing her.

"Will it not be weird to not be able to call her Miss Potts anymore?" she asked thoughtfully. He frowned.

"She's always gonna be Miss Potts. I'm not even sure if she's going to change her name, it isn't something we've discussed if I'm being honest." his frown deepened.

"Pepper Potts-Stark. Pepper Stark, Virginia Stark. Virginia Potts-Stark." she debated aloud.

"Okay, that's enough." he hushed her with a wave of his hand.

"Tony Potts!" she gasped with a grin. "Oh that's the one, for sure." she beamed.

"While I agree Tony Potts works, it's not gonna happen." he shook his head.

"So how are things really?" she asked, glancing at Steve.

"There were a lot of things said…" Tony trailed off. "They can't be taken back. All we have left is to move forward, try and salvage what was left."

"You two will make it. If anyone can, it has to be you." she chuckled, shaking her head.

"I told him a lot of things I didn't mean." he revealed. "I don't know how deep those wounds run."

"One day at a time." she gave him a soft smile, and he pulled her into a side hug.

"I know that those two are inseparable." Tony nodded at the pair, who seemed to be reminiscing about something. "Steve said even when he had nothing, he had Bucky."

"Tony…" she trailed off. "You know that you two have something there, too, right?"

"A big fat document that proves we can't get along." he sighed.

"Hey. Steve is always gonna be here for you, okay?" she smiled reassuringly. "He's not the type to hold a grudge, not with someone who means so much to him."

"Do I, though?" he grinned wryly.

"You're very different people, Tony, I can't deny that. But you're both good men. The best, some could say. Earth's mightiest heroes. And there's no one who can understand you two better than you can understand each other." she shook her head.

"I wouldn't say we understand each other…" he pursed his lips.

"Maybe you don't think you do. But I can tell."

"Okay, wise one, tell me how this ends." Tony glanced over to the two men, who were both looking at them.

"I wish I knew." she sighed, slumping out from his grip and turning to face him with an exhausted look. "I really wish I knew."

"So when do you get to come home? The princess said all was going well here." Tony asked, changing the subject.

"She said twelve days max." Donnie shrugged. His face broke into a grin.

"Beautiful! Just in time to go to the cake tasting." he revealed, and she let out a laugh.

"I can't wait." she teased, and that's when Bucky and Steve rejoined the group.

"What's this I hear about cake?" Steve asked, and she laughed again.

"You'll have to wait for the wedding." he waved a hand at him nonchalantly.

"Would you like to join us for dinner? The food will be getting cold soon." Shuri called from the table, causing Donnie to grin.

"Donnie! Saved you a seat!" Peter patted the chair next to him, and she gave him a grateful smile, sliding in next to him as Bucky pushed it in for her.

"Thanks." she said to them both, pretending not to notice as Bucky stuck his tongue out at the kid. Peter's mouth dropped open, clearly wanting to say something, but she knew that no one would believe the kid if he made any comments. "Pete, how was school today?" she asked quickly, stopping him from making a scene or embarrassing himself. He went into an in-depth explanation of how he, Ned and a newer friend named MJ had all managed to cause trouble.

"Mr. Stark, how have things been since we stole your top researcher out from under you?" Shuri asked with a teasing grin.

"Well, I'm still reeling in the aftermath of her latest press conference. She's like, America's number one golden child." she flushed at Tony's praise.

"We can't all be genius billionaire playboy philanthropists, Stark, some of us have to do real work." she teased. He rolled his eyes, and Bucky flinched next to her.

"Did you just kick me?" he grimaced at the man.

"I was aiming for Daphne over here, but getting you is just as good." Tony shrugged. Bucky shot him a glare, but she gave a small chuckle and placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Well, I understand your nation's respect for her. She is a brilliant worker." T'Challa replied with a polite grin. She gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Enough about me, I want to know more about anything else." she suggested. Shuri laughed and delved into a story of Bucky when he'd first gotten there. He looked embarrassed, but she just smiled and listened intently. She squeezed his hand, and he gave her a small smile.

"So, Steve, how is Sam?" she asked once there was a lull in the conversation.

"Oh, he's, well, he's fine." Steve replied. "A little peeved that I ditched him to come here, but he's getting things back together, for, well, we were going to relocate, but now since Tony invited us all back to the compound…"

"He did?" Don shot a surprised glance at Tony. He shrugged, taking a sip of his scotch.

"I figured that it's more convenient to rebrand and rebuild if we're all in the same spot. Plus, this way Vision won't have to sneak out to go and find Wanda." Steve winced as he realized Tony knew about the android's visits to Wanda.

"That does make sense, I agree. But what of those on house arrest? Does your offer extend to them?" T'Challa referred to Clint and Scott.

"Well, they're welcome as soon as their sentences are up. I'm ready to move things along, I'm tired of sitting around and waiting." Tony replied. She gave a small smile at her friend, encouraged by the way he seemed to be coping.

"That's very chivalrous of you, Stark." Don joked.

"I prefer the term magnanimous." He replied wryly, causing the table to laugh. After a delicious dessert, Peter nearly yanked Donnie's arm off as he led her towards the room he would be staying in. Bucky trailed just behind them, obviously not happy about having to spend more time with the kid.

"I wanted to watch a movie, Donnie!" He grinned, showing her the giant TV and multitude of films being displayed to watch.

"What do you say, Sarge?" She turned to Bucky with a soft smile. "Have time for one classic?"

"As long as it's good." He replied, looking aloof as he claimed a seat on the couch. She sat next to him, Peter on her other side. Peter suggested _Memento_, but Don vetoed that immediately.

"Not in good taste, kid." She muttered weakly.

"What? Oh. _Oh_ you're right." Peter scrambled to find something else.

"I'll explain later." She said to Bucky, and he gave a slight smile before Peter chose something more appropriate. Halfway through the film, Bucky began to nod off, and she smiled affectionately as his head rested on her shoulder. Not long after, the kid's head dropped onto her other side, and she had to stifle a laugh. Her boys were so cute. Once the movie was over, she felt Bucky begin to stir, and he jolted up quickly.

"We're still here?" he muttered in annoyance. She gave him a look before turning to shake Peter awake.

"Hey, hon, wake up. Time for bed, okay?" she murmured, and he slowly stirred before jerking awake.

"Huh? I'm up, I-I'm up." he rubbed his eyes as she stood, and she let out a small laugh before leaning down to hug the kid.

"Night, Peter." she called out softly as she and Bucky left the room. The walk back to her room was nearly silent, Bucky not saying a word the entire time.

"They mean a lot to you, don't they?" he asked once the door clicked shut behind them. She paused, thinking before she answered. It was difficult to talk to him about these things, especially when she didn't want to shut him out.

"They were there for me when I was at my worst." she revealed. "You hurt me, Buck, and sometimes… well, sometimes I just didn't care to keep going on." he flinched, eyes filling with remorse.

"Donatella, you know I-" she held up a hand to stop him from talking.

"I know, Bucky. I know." she soothed him before he became defensive. "But they really helped me out. Peter taught me to laugh again, and Tony… well, he showed me that I was worth so much more than the shell I'd become. They will forever be important to me."

"If it means a lot to you… they're important to me, now, too." he replied, his eyes flashing determinedly. She smiled softly, reaching up to press her palms to his cheeks, feeling his stubble scrape gently against her skin.

"I love you, James Buchanan Barnes." she grinned. He leaned his head towards her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I live for you." he whispered tenderly. "Forever and always."

"Always."

**Why does this feel like the ending of the story? Y'all, I haven't even bEGUN with the climax of this yet. I hope I'll surprise you all.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Scar Tissue**

"Are you sure I'm ready?" Bucky asked nervously. They stood in front of the quinjet that would take them back to New York, finally able to get back to her home. _Their_ home now, she had to remind herself.

"Positive. You don't even flinch at the words anymore, angel. You're ready." she nodded encouragingly, prodding him to get on the jet. "Now come on, I want to get back, eat, and have a nice long bath and then get unpacked."

"Is that all?" he asked, a teasing tone coming over his words as he began to relax.

"Hmmm, depends." she buckled herself in, pulling out a romance novel that she'd purchased from a store in town.

"On?" he asked.

"How tired I am." she grinned right back as the jet began to lift off. Steve had left days before, going back to the compound to meet up with Tony and get their lives back on track.

"We should celebrate tonight. I'll make dinner." He offered, and she rolled her eyes as the jet evened out.

"If you're offering, how could I refuse?" She teased. He gave her a slight smirk before settling back in his seat, looking out the window quietly. She opened her book, starting from the first page and creasing the spine to keep the cheap book open.

"What's that?" He asked, glancing down.

"It's a romance book. You wouldn't like it." She murmured, flipping the page.

"Well, how would you know that I wouldn't like it?" He teased. She gave a small laugh before turning to face him.

"Read the description?" She handed the book over, and he frowned as he looked it over.

"'Joanie is a Canadian baker trying to make it in the big city. Brian is a big shot CEO. When their paths cross…' yeah no I wouldn't like it." He groaned, dropping the book back in her lap. She grinned, reopening it and ignoring him as she continued along in the story. It had probably been an hour until he spoke again. "What are you _reading_?!" He snatched the book out of her hands, peering down at the pages.

"What?" She asked, exasperated and trying to grab it back.

"This is porn!" He nearly shouted, causing her to burst into laughter.

"It's a _romance novel_. There's gonna be sex in it!" She giggled at his horrified face.

"Okay, you chastised me for my magazine in Bucharest, but I'm not allowed to say anything about this?" He frowned, reading the pages once more. "I'm not sure why you said I wouldn't like this. If I'd have known, I'd have asked you to read it to me." He gave her a lecherous grin.

"You're incorrigible." She pursed her lips. "I'm not gonna read you something like this on a jet. We can do that later when we get home." His eyes flashed mischievously and he leaned closer, lips brushing against her ear.

"You know… we're the only ones on this plane." His voice was husky, causing her to shiver.

"Buck, I'm reading." She cleared her throat weakly.

"We can act it out." He brushed her hair back behind her head, lips pressing into the side of her neck.

"You're trying really hard to join the mile high club." Donatella breathed out a laugh.

"The what?" He murmured, kissing her pulse point.

"It's where… you have sex on a plane while it's flying…" she trailed off, leaning into his touch.

"And it's a club?" He sat back, confusion clear in his eyes.

"No, it's- whatever, come here." She reached up, grasping him by the shirt and pulling him down into a desperate kiss.

"Are we joining the club?" He broke away to ask another question.

"Not if you're going to keep talking." She growled.

"Yes ma'am." He shut up then, and they made quick work of each other, only able to undress halfway in the small cabin, their seats hindering some movement. By the time they'd gotten to a more presentable look, clothes slightly rumpled, they only had half an hour on their flight left.

"That was interesting." She breathed out, picking her book back up.

"I'm sure it was better than just reading about it." He leaned back with a smirk. She shrugged, and his face dropped into a scowl. "Oh come on, what does big shot CEO dude have that I don't?"

"I'm kidding!" She chuckled, and his face relaxed again.

"You'd better be, or I'll have to _show you_ how much more I have to offer." he gave her another devilish smirk, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Down boy, we've only got like twenty more minutes until we descend." she patted him on the shoulder. "There's plenty more time for that later tonight."

"Looking forward to it." he teased, buckling his seatbelt when the light came back on. It was a torturous time, knowing they were so close to getting off the jet but they had to wait until they landed, then they had to wait for the pilot to park, and then _finally_ they were able to get up and stretch their legs. They got off the jet as quickly as they dared, nearly making it out of the hangar before being greeted by wide grins.

"How was the flight?" Steve strode forwards, greeting his closest friend with a hug.

"Long." Bucky replied dryly, Tony stepping to the side to give Donatella a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"It's one of the fastest jets in the world, I'm not sure we can complain." Donnie grinned at him.

"That's the correct answer. Take notes, Manchurian Candidate." Tony smirked, and Don shot him a warning look at the nickname.

"Please don't call him that." she said dryly.

"I make no promises, carrot top." Tony shrugged. "Before you leave, could I please show you to the briefing room? There's something in there that I think you should see."

"Oh, sure." she frowned, glancing at Bucky.

"Not robocop. Just you." Tony shook his head, and she felt warning bells going off in her brain.

"Okay…?" she followed him out, Bucky giving her a confused look. She shrugged and let the door to the hangar close behind her. "Tony, what exactly is going on?" she asked.

"I'd like to keep this hush until we get to a secure area." he replied. Her frown deepened, and she felt an uncomfortable twisting in her stomach. What was he going to show her? They entered a dimly lit room, a file sitting unassumingly on the table, a screen lit up in blue against the wall.

"What's this?" she pulled the file towards herself, flipping it open. She bit her lip as she skimmed over the first few pages, brow furrowing as she got further along.

"We have intel that there's a small strike team from HYDRA forming. We don't know what exactly they're trying to do, but we think it has something to do with regaining the Asset." he explained.

"Bucky." she replied flatly. "You think they're going to try and get him again?"

"Without him and the other soldiers, they don't have much behind them. They don't know that we've erased his brainwashing, so I don't think there's a threat of them getting him and keeping him. The guy is nearly impossible to take down unless you've got a nuke."

"Any sign of when they're planning to move?" she asked, glancing up at the screen.

"No, but we have surveillance of a few of their members making a handoff of some kind." he replied. "FRIDAY, please play back the HYDRA footage." the screen suddenly began to show a small group of people in some sort of market.

"Where is this?" she asked, glancing at the street signs. They were obviously not in English.

"South Korea. Just outside Changwon. We had Wilson go and check it out with a surveillance team, but they moved on from this area before we got any intel. This footage was taken a week ago." Tony replied.

"Who all knows about this?" she studied the faces of the people as the video looped, not recognizing any of them, but she felt something nagging at her about one of them. He was a younger man, and he looked… she was missing something. He didn't look older than her, maybe a bit younger. But she felt like she should pay attention to him.

"Just you, me, Sam, Steve, and Natasha. I've tried to keep this as quiet as possible, I don't want any leaks getting out that we're onto them." he sighed.

"Should I tell Bucky?" she asked, still staring at the one man.

"Don't worry about it, Steve is letting him know that something fishy is going on. I wanted to talk to you alone, though, to see what you wanted to do about it." Tony said. She frowned, something still feeling wrong about that man.

"Do we know who they are?" Don asked. Tony looked at the screen, a small sigh leaving him.

"We aren't a hundred percent sure. They seem to be of a younger generation of HYDRA, since the old bags are mostly defunct by now. We know some of the more prominent ones, a few doctors, but other than that…" he shrugged.

"What about that one?" she pointed to the man that gave her the uneasy feeling. "There's something about him that concerns me."

"He's one of the new faces. We've never seen him before, and he's not in any of the HYDRA files we've decrypted. He might be off the record." he shook his head.

"That's not reassuring." she huffed, crossing her arms and looking back down at the file. "I'm not sure what to do about this…"

"I'd recommend working shorter hours, and never let Barnes out of your sight. I've advised Steve and Sam to do recon, and Nat has agreed to shadow you two between work and home."

"I guess that will work…" she sighed. "I suppose it's time to bring out the big guns."

"One step ahead of you." Tony slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small pouch. "Kept it safe for you." she took it from his grasp, slipping two small silver rings from the fabric bag.

"Thanks." she slipped one onto each of her middle fingers, playfully flipping Tony off once she did.

"Please don't point those things at me." he ducked, and she gave a small laugh.

"They aren't armed right now, don't worry." she grinned, clapping her hands together to engage the small weapons. She curled her fingers in and bumped her fists together. At her movement, a low buzzing noise began before shockwaves burst outward from her hands. Tony leapt away as they smashed into the wall, two small dents appearing.

"Jeepers, try not to destroy my office space with your toys?" he frowned at the dented metal.

"Just checking to make sure they work properly." she shrugged sheepishly. "Nothing a little boiling water and a plunger can't fix."

"You need to stop watching those fix-it yourself videos." he pointed an accusing finger at her as she laughed. She clapped her hands together twice, disarming the rings and the buzzing noise stopped.

"I should go. I've got unpacking to do, plus Bucky promised to make me dinner." she grinned.

"Good thinking, kid, make him work for you." Tony smirked, leaning against the table. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." she smiled gratefully, exiting the room swiftly. She sped walked back to the hangar, not wanting to be alone after what she'd heard. As soon as she saw Bucky's face she sighed in relief, rushing to his side.

"Hey, did Tony tell you?" he frowned.

"I'm all briefed on the situation. Ready to roll?" she led him towards the doors, Steve already gone to do god-knows what.

"Yeah." the frown was still present on his face, and she stopped, whirling to face him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, grabbing his hand and squeezing. He sighed, hanging his head.

"It's like we can't catch a break. I'm sorry." he grimaced, not meeting her eyes. She lifted her hand, patting his cheek reassuringly.

"Hey. I knew what I was getting into. Besides, this just keeps things interesting, wonderboy." she joked, turning back around and tugging him towards her car. He dropped their one collective bag into the trunk as she turned the car on, feeling the familiar purr beneath her. "Oh, I missed you." she murmured as he slid next to her.

"Oh, and when you first saw _me_ I got a swift punch to the face." he joked, pulling his seatbelt.

"Hey, this baby has never wronged me, mister. You should take notes." she laughed, pulling out of the parking garage and onto the winding road that would lead them back to the city.

"So, Queens?" he asked, shooting her a look. She shrugged.

"A few months ago I got sick of driving almost an hour from my house to the compound every day, so I chose something in between. Plus it's close to Peter and May." she explained. He groaned.

"Please tell me we don't have to see them all the time." he almost begged, and she shot him a look, merging onto the interstate.

"Well I've been told that we have to stick together in this time of crisis. So yeah, we're probably gonna go over there for dinner soon." she replied, and he groaned.

"This is a nightmare." he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, since when did you act like a ten year old all the time?" she snapped, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. "Why don't you like Peter, anyways? He's a sweet kid." he was quiet for a minute, obviously thinking of a reason.

"Oh my god. It's because he's like Steve. I can't handle another Steve." he shot her a panicked, look, and she felt her mouth drop open.

"What do you-how do you see him and Steve being similar?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"They're both little punks that don't know when to quit. It's like they have this incurable dumbass disease." she felt herself burst into uncontrollable laughter, glancing over at him and his pained expression.

"You're ridiculous!" she gasped as she exited the interstate, getting onto one of the main roads near her apartment.

"It's the truth." he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So you don't like him because he's too much like your best friend?" she asked.

"No. I don't like him because he's an annoying little punk that needs to get a clue." he replied haughtily.

"Okay, okay. I get it." she tried to suppress her smile. "We're almost home."

"Home." He sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Finally." She grinned, pulling the car into the underground parking garage and sliding into her designated spot. Bucky grabbed the bag and she led him towards the elevator that would bring them up to her floor.

"I'll have to look into getting you a key." she frowned as she unlocked her door. He entered with a wide smile, glancing around.

"This is almost exactly like our first place." he noted.

"Not quite, this one's bigger with an extra bedroom." she mentioned, pointing out the extra door. "Plus there's a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom. And a bathtub."

"I'd like to try out the bathtub with you someday soon." he grinned at her.

"Of course you would." she barked out a laugh. He shot her another smirk before heading towards the fridge, opening it and frowning at the meager pickings. "I'm going to start unpacking, I'll make some space in the closet and dresser for your things."

"I don't have much." he called out to her once she had disappeared into the bedroom. She smiled softly, she would change that soon enough. She wanted to fill the apartment with things for him, books, movies, trinkets, clothes… She felt that if she could surround herself with things meant for him then he would never truly be away. It was like a form of security, the more he accumulated, the more he'd have to leave behind. That way it would be harder to lose him.

She managed to put their things away in record time, her thoughts wandering as she thought about how relieved she was for them to just be back together in this place. She'd dreamed of him coming back to her, of him just being with her. It was hard without him, much harder than she would like to admit. Coming home to an empty apartment just wasn't the same, not when there was someone that you wanted, no, _needed_ to be there for you. But when she turned and saw him standing in the doorway she jumped a mile in the air, barely holding back a scream.

"Oh my _god _you scared me, would it kill you to make some noise?" she complained, pressing her hand against her racing heart.

"Historically, yes." he replied dryly. "You didn't have anything that I could make dinner with in your kitchen, so I used your cellphone to order Chinese." he ambled closer to her.

"God you know me so well." her mouth nearly watered at the thought of Chinese food.

"I'd like to think so." he replied with a smirk, directly in front of her at this point. She rolled her eyes, pushing his solid chest as she moved past him to the bathroom. He trailed after her as she turned on the sink, putting a dollop of soap into her hands to wash her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she lathered it onto her cheeks.

"Just enjoying the view." he gave a lazy smile, his gaze raking over her as she bent over the sink.

"Course you are." she muttered, splashing water over her face. She felt him move closer behind her, his hands gripping her hips as he pressed himself against her. She patted her face dry with a towel and his hands began moving up from her hips to the smallest part of her waist. "Okay, didn't you ever learn that you can look but you can't touch?" she teased, standing up straight.

"Are you saying you don't want me to touch you?" he murmured into her ear as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.

"Maybe just a little." she breathed as his hands began to move, working their magic.

She could get used to living like this.

….

"Bucky, come on." she groaned, glancing at her watch. The man was taking ages to get ready. It was finally Halloween, and she was absolutely dreading the Stark Industries costume party. Maybe not as much as Bucky was, though. He and Steve had organized their costumes to match, and she wasn't allowed to know what they were going to be.

"I'm almost done!" he called back, and she groaned, glancing in the mirror at her uninspired outfit. She'd gone for the classic vampire, long slinky gown and sharp canines and all. The red hair wasn't quite as dark and goth as the look required, but she liked the effect it had against her paler skin and dark colored clothes. She should have went as a witch she realized, but it was too late to change now.

"We have to get going soon, otherwise Stark will be mad." she huffed, crossing her arms over her decidedly slutty dress. She looked more like Elvira than Vampira.

"I said I was almost done." Bucky sauntered out from the bedroom, and her mouth dried at the look.

"You-your hair!" she nearly cried out, rushing forward to press her fingers to the newly cut locks. It was short on the sides and slightly longer on the top, much like the way he'd worn it in the pictures she had seen of him in the 1940s. He'd shaved his beard as well, leaving the moustache to go with his police officer uniform.

"Thought it was time for a change." He ran his hand over his head sheepishly. She was in awe of how absolutely handsome he looked.

"Oh, we can't leave the house now, I'm not letting anyone else see you like this." She shook her head, trying to push him back into the bedroom.

"I _have_ to go, otherwise Steve will look dumb." He whined, putting his policeman's cap on. His uniform was all black, with long sleeves, and tight too. She eyed the handcuffs that hung from his belt with a devilish twinkle in her eye.

"We don't _have_ to go…" she bit her lip, her fingers trailing down his chest towards the buckle of his belt. His hands darted out to intercept her nimble fingers, spinning her around with her hands behind her back.

"Young lady, I'm going to have to escort you to Stark tower for some recon." He whispered in her ear, leading her towards the front door. His lips caressed her ear before dipping down to her neck, kissing the skin there before trailing back up and touching the corner of her lips. "Our limo is waiting." He said as he let go, breezing past her and opening the door for her. She groaned, feeling flustered and entirely too clothed for her liking. She eyed him as she walked past him, appreciating the view very much.

The party was torture. All she wanted to do was go home and strip him down, layer by layer. She had to practically chug champagne to distract herself. He wasn't even near her half the time, straying towards the edge of the crowd with Steve, the two making a very dashing pair. She was surprised to see him straying from her side so much, but after every smirking glance and devilish wink, she knew he was doing it on purpose. She tried not to pout, but was probably failing miserably, as even Natasha noticed and approached her to say hi. They weren't extremely close, but they'd gotten to know each other well enough over the months that they'd worked together.

"Barnes looks good with his hair cut." Natasha mentioned to her as a few scientists scattered from Donatella's side.

"He looks good all the time." she retorted absent-mindedly. Natasha shot her an amused look.

"I'm surprised that you two have made it this far." she commented. Donatella pursed her lips, glancing at the woman.

"What makes you say that?"

"The two of you have been at two opposite ends of the spectrum. It's the classic opposites attract sort of thing." she said, sipping a glass of deep red wine.

"We're more alike than you would think." Donatella frowned. Natasha shot a glance over towards Bucky, a small smirk playing over her lips.

"If you two want to believe that, then it's none of my business." she had an uncharacteristically playful look in her eye.

"What does that mean?" Donnie frowned.

"It just means that you two have something special. You're so different, yet… you've managed to work through it all." Natasha gave a half smile.

"I guess so…" Don trailed off. Natasha glanced back over to Bucky.

"It's hard to find someone that can get over what you've done in the past… I'm glad that you are helping him out."

"I don't feel like I'm helping him out… it's just impossible for me to keep away from him." she admitted.

"I get the feeling." Natasha almost looked wistful as she glanced towards the floor. "Finding someone, especially with this sort of lifestyle, it's kind of a miracle. I'm glad that you two have each other." She disappeared with that, moving through the crowd without a glance backwards. That was… odd. Donatella stared down into her cup, studying the red smudge from her lipstick on the glass. She wasn't quite sure what Natasha meant by that. Were they more different than she realized? They agreed on most things, had somewhat similar interests, loved each other more than anyone else… was that not enough to help them last? She was trying her hardest with him, was he not giving the same effort? He must have been, he was always doing something to make her happy, to show her that he loved her. She shook off her confusion, why was she letting Natasha get to her? The woman got into people's heads for a living. She placed her empty glass down on a tray, glancing around to see if Bucky was ready to go yet. She frowned when she didn't see him, letting a sigh escape her as she turned to skirt the edges of the room.

"Ready to get out of here?" a husky voice murmured in her ear, and she shivered, spinning to see Bucky behind her, his hat pulled low over his eyes.

"You read my mind." she smiled at him, pushing aside any uneasiness that had come from her conversation with Natasha.

"The car is waiting out front, Steve showed me how to buzz the driver." he explained, his warm hand steering her across the room, fingers pressing gently against her back.

"Well, we'd better not keep them waiting then." she gave a smile as they rushed to leave the party, saying a few goodbyes on the way out. It was almost torture once they got into the car, trying to keep their hands to themselves. She was fine with carsex, but _not_ when there was an old man sitting in the front seat pretending not to pay attention to them. When they finally made it back to the apartment and inside, it was like the dam finally broke. She tugged at his shirt, fumbling with the buttons and trying to kick off her shoes at the same time. His hands worked on the clasps at the back of her dress, unhooking the million tiny hooks that she had liked at one point, but now despised as they stood between her and him.

"You look gorgeous in this, but never wear this again." he dangled the black fabric in front of her once he'd finally managed to get it off. His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the sharp definition of his chest.

"Duly noted." she slunk forward, hands pressing against his flesh as he tossed the dress to the side. He backed her towards the bedroom as his lips captured hers, a slow burn beginning that nearly knocked her off her feet. She still had her fangs in, and they felt cumbersome, so she had to pull away for a moment to unstick the two small canines that had lengthened her incisors for her costume.

"You make a very sexy vampire, I almost wish you would bite me." he teased, a wolfish grin spread over his face.

"Only if you cuff me, officer." she shot back, offering her wrists to him as she backed into the bedroom. He swallowed hard, and she grabbed him by his waistband, tugging him towards the bed.

"Seriously?" he sounded choked, his metal hand flexing over the cuffs on his belt. She gave a sharp nod, and his demeanor shifted in a split second from nervous to determined. He picked her up, carrying her over to the bed and tossing her on top of the covers, hands immediately finding her wrists and bringing them up to the top of the bed. "You're sure?" he hesitated for a moment, and she almost let out a groan.

"_Yes,_ now do it." she snapped, and a smirk appeared on his lips.

"I'm the one with the cuffs, shouldn't this be the other way around?" she shivered as the cold metal clicked around her wrists, he'd threaded the chain through the headboard so she was thoroughly locked in. He leaned back on his knees, eyes lazily trailing over her figure as she squirmed beneath him.

"Please officer, I've done nothing wrong." she smirked up at him, her breath already coming out in sharp pants.

"I could get used to this." his hands gently hovered over her, barely brushing her skin.

"Touch me!" she pleaded, annoyed with the time he was wasting. "We don't have all night!"

"Donatella, we have all the time in the world."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: ilomilo**

"Would it kill you to be nice for once!" Donatella tried to keep her tone even, but she couldn't help herself as she put the car into drive. "It's like you won't even try to be civil with him! What has he ever done to you?"

"I _am_ trying! But it's hard to be nice to that kid, he's an annoying little punk!" they were on their way back from dinner with Peter and May. Of course he'd argued with Peter about something stupid, but it had upset the kid a lot, and they boy had to excuse himself from dinner early. She was irate that Bucky would be so abrasive to him.

"Well you should try harder! It isn't rocket science to be polite. This is the third dinner you've ruined this month! I might have to start leaving you at home if you can't act your age!" she snarled, zooming through the streets. It was dark, and she just wanted to get home and go to bed. She was frustrated with him, why couldn't he just get along with Peter and Tony? He knew how important they were to her.

"I'm sorry!" he groaned, raking his hand down his face. "I just can't help it around him! Whenever I see him I just get… irritated!"

"Bucky, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." she sighed, shaking her head. "Next time we see Peter and May you're going to say sorry to them. Okay?" her tone was stern.

"Okay." he replied quietly, and they didn't speak after that. She felt tense. She knew that they were both under a lot of stress lately. Steve and Tony hadn't made much progress with finding the threat from HYDRA. They had almost disappeared, but there were small things that kept happening. An alarm had been tripped at the compound a few days before, nobody had been hurt, but it meant that they had to be on edge, waiting for their next move. Natasha and Sam would both be tailing Bucky for the next few days, trying to keep an eye on him and make sure that nobody got to him. Shuri wasn't sure if the brainwashing could be redone, but they didn't want to take any chances.

"Buck, I'm sorry." she sighed, shoulders slumping. "I don't mean to rag on you, it's just…"

"I know that they're important to you." he replied with an understanding smile. "I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with. Sometimes I'd just love to keep you to myself, all day every day, but it gets frustrating having to share you with others."

"Bucky…" she trailed off, and his hand reached over to her knee and gave it a slight squeeze. They were on good terms now, at least, which was always how she'd like to end her days. She wasn't the type to be content going to bed angry or upset, and she'd like to be on the same side at the end of the day. Bucky was of the same philosophy, so they were usually able to get things straightened out before anything irreparable could be done.

She stayed silent as she pulled into the parking garage. It was late, later than they usually got home from Peter and May's. She felt uneasy in the darkness. She wished that there was more light inside the parking garage, but she supposed that there was just enough for her to see comfortably. She felt like there were people lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. She pulled into her space, and Bucky tensed.

"Something's wrong." he murmured.

"What do you mean?" her grip tightened on the steering wheel, fear pooling in her stomach.

"I saw something." his eyes were focused on the rearview mirror, but he kept his posture relaxed. "Don't make any suspicious movements. When I open my door, you get out too and stay behind me. Okay?" he asked, looking over to her.

"O-okay…" she nodded, dropping her hands off of the steering wheel.

"If anyone comes out, you run for the stairwell." he murmured.

"Buck, I'm not gonna leave you behind." she whispered loudly, trying to not look around suspiciously.

"You have to. I'll be fine, it's you I'm worried about." he sighed, eyes intense on hers. His hand reached towards the door handle.

"Bucky, wait." she put her hand on his shoulder, halting his movement. He turned towards her, a curious look in his eyes. "If anything happens-"

"Hey." he stopped her. "Nothing is going to happen to me." his eyes pleaded with her. "If you say it now it sounds like a goodbye. Nothing bad is going to happen." he repeated, his other hand reaching out to press against her cheek. "We're in this together. I'll be right behind you, as soon as you get to safety, okay?" he reassured her.

"Let's get this over with then." she nodded, determinedly tapping her rings together to engage the small weapons. He opened his door, out in a flash, and she followed, hurrying to get behind him. He strode purposefully towards the stairwell before a shot rang out. She shrieked when he pushed her into a crouch, shoving her forwards towards the stairwell.

"Go!" he shouted, and she stumbled before rushing into a sprint. She heard more gunshots behind her, and she ducked behind a pillar, heart racing.

Oh god, what now? She could see people fighting off to the side, Natasha and Sam both in full gear and working to subdue the HYDRA soldiers. There were _so many_, where had they all come from? She held her hands up in front of herself defensively before peeking out further behind the pillar, wincing as she saw Bucky taking on three men in tactical gear on his own.

There was a body next to him, and she shuddered, trying not to think about it she backed up a bit, stumbling into someone. She opened her mouth to shout, but her scream was stifled by some sort of cloth. She struggled, bumping her fists together before swinging her hands behind her, feeling accomplished as a blast knocked the person off of her. But it was too late, she realized, as she felt woozy, the cloth slipping from in front of her mouth as she crashed to her knees. People still used chloroform these days?

That was the last thought she had before everything went dark.

….

When she woke, she was in a dark room. Cold, clean walls, a white sheet, no window, and a singular lamp. She checked her hands, but her rings were gone. So were her shoes. She still had her necklace, and she let out a breath of relief. At least one thing hadn't been taken from her. She sat up slowly, glancing around the room as if waiting for someone to jump out and yell 'sike!'. Nobody did. Where was Ashton Kutcher? She had to be getting Punk'd right now. The door was steel, and she frowned, how the hell did it even open? It didn't seem like it _could_ open from the inside. And where exactly _was _she? Why was she taken? Was she a hostage to trap Bucky? Or did they think she was someone of importance? None of it made sense.

She was thinking of potential situations that would bring her to this. So she was hostage, and then what? They would lure Bucky to her? No, because she was hidden away so well how would he know where she was? She couldn't cause any commotion. Would they just let her rot away when they got him? Or would she be… _disposed_ of? She shuddered, the latter reminded her of the escape to Bucharest. God, it all seemed so long ago… it must have been nearly nine months since then. How had her life changed so much over such a short amount of time? Most of the changes were good, but this… this could definitely be better.

She swung her legs over the bed, noting that it was bolted down. At least it wasn't just a cot on the floor, this one was metal. Maybe she could get a loose screw or something? She sighed as she checked and saw that they were all welded into the frame. New plan, strangle the first person to walk through the door with the bedsheet. No, that was probably asking to get killed immediately. She sighed, slumping back into the wall. She shouldn't have used her rings, they probably wouldn't have realized they were weapons otherwise. She could have kept them in the cell if she hadn't been an idiot with them. What the hell was she supposed to do? Sit here and wait?

That was exactly what she ended up doing. Picking threads from the fraying blanket and humming to herself were her only forms of entertainment, so it felt like twelve hours had passed before there was any sign of outside life. She jolted to attention when the door unlocked, and she stared hard at the door as it creaked open. A man in tactical gear was on the other side, holding a tray of mouth watering food. Her stomach growled, and she hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food was in front of her. She wasn't sure what to say, he got closer and set the tray down next to her and made to leave before she stopped him.

"Wait!" she stood, her bare feet cold on the cement floor.

"Yes, Miss Donatella?" he turned inquisitively. She was taken aback, mind reeling by the way he addressed her. He was being… polite? What the fuck was going _on_?

"C-can you t-tell me why I'm here?" she managed to stammer out. He glanced over her, then looked towards the cracked door.

"I'll send someone down shortly to speak with you, Miss Donatella." he nodded respectfully to her before exiting the room, the door closing softly behind him. What the actual fuck was going on? Her stomach let out a growl, and she glanced down at the food, but was hesitant to eat it. What if it was poisoned? Why would they waste food on poisoning her? If they wanted to kill her, they could have done it while she was passed out. Hell, they could have done it without knocking her out. She may regret it later, but she began to dig in.

The food was _amazing_. It may have been just because she had been in that room for a long time, or because there was nothing else in the room for her to focus on, but it tasted so good, really rich and filling. God, why was she acting like a foodie when she was essentially a hostage? She looked down at her tray. She had a plastic spork as a weapon now, so she pocketed that before setting the now empty tray on the floor. Now what? She glanced around the room as if something would have changed in the last fifteen minutes. Nothing. She frowned, thinking of what she could do.

If she managed to get out of the room, then what? She could wander around the unfamiliar area until she got caught again? No, she had to be smart about this. She would have to wait until she figured out where she was and maybe even figure out _how_ to get out. But who knew when another person would come in?

Apparently, not long. She nearly jumped as the door opened again, merely an hour after the other man had left. A new man entered, and she froze, veins turning to ice. She recognized him… he was the one that she noticed in the videos that Tony had shown her. She jumped to her feet, backing towards the wall.

"Who are you?" she asked, pressing her palms against the cold cement. He merely smiled, and with a snap of his fingers a different man entered carrying two folding chairs. He set them up and left, the door shutting solidly behind him. The one she recognized sat down in one, and gestured to the one across from him. He hadn't spoken yet, and she felt very uneasy.

"Donatella, I'd suggest you take a seat." he drawled out in Italian. She felt her face scrunch in confusion. How did he know she spoke Italian? Hesitantly, she slid into the seat, scooting as far back as she could from the stranger.

"Why am I here?" she asked in English. She was trying to get at least some answers. His smile reappeared, and she tensed. Why was he grinning at her like that?

"Please, Don, speak to me in our native tongue." his voice was smooth, and she flinched as he used her nickname. She pursed her lips before replying again.

"Why am I here?" she repeated, this time in Italian. It felt sour to speak with him in this manner. He kidnapped her, right? Why was he being so… nice?

"You are here because I asked you to be brought here. I thought it was time for us to meet, finally." he replied easily, leaning back in his chair, unbothered and seemingly comfortable.

"What do you mean by finally?" she frowned. "I don't even know who you are."

"Oh, but you should." his grin widened. "Don't you recognize me?"

"I thought it was obvious that I don't." her tone was strained, she was having difficulty getting what he was trying to say to her. Why wasn't he just telling her outright what she wanted to know? This wasn't a movie for christs sake.

"You, my dear Donatella," he began, "are my baby sister."

His what now? His baby sister? She let out a sharp laugh, and his eyes widened a bit before narrowing with amusement.

"Sorry to tell you this buddy, but I am an only child. Plus, there's no way you're older than me! You don't look a day over twenty-two!" she burst out, half outraged and half hysterical at his suggestion.

"I am your big brother Antoni. There is much to be explained, baby sister." he waved her concerns off, leaning back into his seat again.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, gripping the sides of her seat. He sighed, leaning slightly forwards.

"I suppose you will not accept the truth without knowing the full story." he placed his elbows on his knees, eyes bright as he looked over her face. "You look just like our mother. Even wear the same necklace as her." he glanced down to her neck, and her hand slapped over the stone, hiding it from his gaze. She studied his face, stomach churning as she realized he was telling the truth. Her father had the same nose, her mother had the same jawline…

"Oh my god." she whimpered, she was sure her legs would have given out if she had been standing.

"You see it." he smiled excitedly. "Oh, how I've longed to meet you since our parents told me of you."

"When-how did-how did they _hide the fact _that I had an older brother?" she was alarmed.

"I was born many years before you. I was sixteen when our parents told me they were pregnant with you." he explained.

"But you-you're-" she was having trouble wrapping her mind around things.

"With me, I was their creation. I lived here, in these labs. They raised me to be the first of a new generation, one who was born with the serum running through my veins." he gestured around him as he spoke.

"You have… the same as Bucky, then?" she frowned, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

"Not quite. The Winter Soldier was a product of the Russians, and I was in the heart of HYDRA." he explained. "I was part of an experiment, fertilized in a tube as well as given extraordinary strength and intelligence from conception."

"An experiment." she was still trying to make sense of it. "And you were raised… here, in these labs?" she felt pity for him. Born and raised as an experiment? Her parents were bigger monsters than she had realized.

"Yes, I was trained from birth to be the greatest soldier imaginable. But, with me, there were some issues. I went through quite the rebellious phase when our parents moved to America to raise you. They did not believe that you would be good for me." he laughed bitterly. "I tried to go after you, when I was twenty one. They had sent me on a mission to Canada, and it was so close to you that I just wanted to see you. Just once." his hand reached out to caress her cheek, and she flinched at the contact.

"I was five then." she realized exactly what he was referencing. "That's why I know you, I saw you… you came to my school. My teacher called the police on you." she remembered that day like it was yesterday. It had made her scared to go outside for ages afterwards. He had showed up, bloody and bruised and asking her to come with him… she just remembered screaming and running, she had been so terrified he was going to _kill_ her. Her parents told her to ignore the man, that he was gone forever. And it had been her _brother_.

"Yes, it was not in my best judgement to approach you in my state. But I couldn't help myself. You were so cute, I just wanted to snatch you up and bring you home." he grinned, and she couldn't help but realize he looked like a shark, too many teeth and not enough emotion in his eyes…

"So our parents sent you back here? And then what? There's no way that's the whole story." she shook her head. His grin dropped into a scowl, and his hands turned into fists on his thighs.

"Yes, our parents sent me here. And, as punishment, I was put in a freezer until they could tame me. When I was brought me back out, however…" he gestured around him again. "I find that HYDRA has collapsed, a shell of something great. Our parents, killed by our own people. I was told that it was because of me, but I knew it was because they refused to include you in the experiment. They died to save you, baby sister." his eyes flashed maniacally, and she flinched.

"Well, I never _asked_ them to do that." her voice wavered. Did they really die for her? That didn't change the fact that they were monsters, but it gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I am not blaming you. I am glad they are out of the way. They stood between us, sister." he soothed her. "Now we can finally be together. Our family."

"Bucky is my family, my friends back home are my family! You are _not_ my family!" the words left her in a burst, and his eyes flashed darkly.

"Not yet. But you will see." he replied calmly. "We will be a part of something much bigger. There are only a few original members left, but I have taken it upon myself to begin rebuilding us."

"And what? What's the plan?" she demanded, biting her cheek. He was _nuts_. "Are you the leader now? You're just gonna build HYDRA up and try and end the world or some batshit crazy plot like that?"

"Not at all, my dear sister." he soothed her, his smile reappearing. "I want to begin again, with a new purpose in mind. And all of this depends on you."

"How so?" she felt suspicious of him. What exactly was he getting at?

"I have brought you here for more than just reuniting our family. You have made quite a name for yourself, my dear sister. Intelligent, extraordinary inventions, cures for the incurable." he listed, eyes flashing with amusement.

"Well none of that was done alone, I had teams of intelligent people working right alongside me." she defended.

"Just think of what you could do for us?" his grin widened. "We have intelligent people, we have the labs, we have everything you need."

"No, you don't." she shook her head. "I am _not_ going to build things for you, I work for Stark industries, no one else."

"Your opinion will change, dear sister." he sighed, standing, and she felt a flash of panic. He would leave her in this room until she changed her mind, no doubt. And she would _never_ change her mind.

"I doubt that!" she spat out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Won't you see that you're home? I have done so much for you." he replied.

"Like what? Kidnapping me? Keeping me in a locked room, taking me from the people I love?" she demanded, her fingers tightening around her biceps as she gripped herself to keep from shaking.

"You are _home_." he gritted his teeth. "You do not need them. You have _me_. We have finally found each other."

"I didn't find jack shit!" she spat. "I'm a hostage!"

"If you would like to act like a hostage, dear sister, then we will treat you as such." he replied coolly, his eyes darkening again.

"Do your worst." she snarled, and his mouth quirked into a smile.

"Ah, you are much more like me than you would think." he backed towards the door, and it popped open almost immediately. "I will have dinner brought to you later, sister. But, for now, this is goodbye. You will change your mind, I am sure of it."

"And if I don't? What are you going to do, dispose of me? Leave me dead in a ditch?" she frowned, her nails digging into her skin.

"I will convince you that joining is the only option." his voice was even, mellow. But the spark in his eyes, well, it sent a shiver down her spine. He left after that, and she was alone again. God, how she wished she was back home. She wished this was just a bad dream. She had a wackjob brother who was the leader of a nazi division. Yeah, that was a normal thing that every girl went through. What the fuck was she supposed to do? She was locked in a room in some sort of Nazi lab, god knows where in the world she was. She had to think of a plan, something, _anything_ to get out of here. Her stomach churned as her mind whirled, rethinking her entire life and what had led up to this moment.

So Bucky had never been the target. It was her. They were so concerned looking out for him, she never made the connection. Antoni, her brother, the crazy man that she used to have nightmares about… it all led up to this. Would she die here, locked in this room? Never seeing her family again? No matter how much her brother preached it, he wasn't her family. No, her family was Bucky, Peter, Tony, even Steve… Rhodey in there too, sometimes she even liked Sam. Those people, they were her family, and they had no idea where she was or what was going on… hell, she barely even had a clue. She had like maybe half a clue. And even what little grasp on reality she had was slowly dissolving from between her fingers.

She stood from her chair, glancing over to the corner of the room where her empty tray sat. She understood why they were treating her so well… it was because she was the fucking leader's precious sister? He was nuts. Absolutely bonkers. He had tried to kidnap her as a child and bring her here. Well, apparently he managed to do just that, just twenty fucking years later. God, he'd been on ice so long… not as long as Bucky, or Steve, but he got brought back just in the ripe time where she was stuck in the middle of all this superhero shit. Literally surrounded by heroes. And she still managed to get herself caught?

She wasn't worried about them killing her, or hurting her anymore. They needed her for something. But what exactly were they trying to do? What did they need her help with? She was a doctor, glorified to some extent, due to her past few studies. She managed to do very difficult things with the motivation she had from her loved ones. But would she be able to do what they wanted her to do? Maybe they needed tech. Maybe they needed help with something miniscule, something that wouldn't put her in any form of leadership role… hell, maybe they needed someone to fix the keyboard on a computer. She had no fucking clue.

The only thing she did know is that everything she'd believed, everything she'd grown up thinking had suddenly been turned on its side. Was this why her parents had abandoned her? To keep her from being used by HYDRA? It was so confusing, were they good or bad? She had no way of knowing, they were dead now. She paused in her thoughts. Was it weird to be so chill about her parents' deaths? She had come to terms with it a long time ago, before she had even confirmed that they were dead. But even her own brother didn't seem too torn up about it. She shuddered. They had spent more time with him, turned him into something…

She knew that Bucky and Steve were both enhanced in the same way. Bucky unwillingly, and Steve did it to win the war. But her brother… he had no choice. His own _parents_ had been the bad guys. Her parents were evil people. Bad people, who experimented on their own child and tortured the love of her life. There was no love lost for them in her opinion.

She had a family that loved her. And she loved them back. All she knew now is that she would do anything to get back to them.

**I don't know if anyone has noticed or bothered to look, but every chapter I upload has a song title at the top. The theme of the song usually matches the feelings that I'm trying to get across through the chapter, and this one really strikes me. ilomilo is about fear of losing someone and trying to get back to them, and that was exactly what I was trying to portray here. Usually my own interpretation of the song is how I go through the chapter, but this song fit really seamlessly with how I'm having Donatella feel in this chapter. We're nearing the end, there's only a few more chapters after this one. Thank you guys so much for sticking with this story for so long, I'm struggling to write the end of the next part to this story, I never want it to be done T-T. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Powerful**

When she woke up the next morning, or at least what she assumed was morning, there was someone knocking on the door. She cleared her throat, sitting up and finger-combing her hair.

"Come in." she croaked out, her voice cracking from disuse. After meeting with her brother, a few hours had passed before anyone else came in the room. The same man from lunch had brought dinner and a pair of pajamas to change into, a soft cloth set that was warm and fit nearly perfect.

It creeped her the fuck out that they had her exact measurements.

The same man from the day before came in, bringing more clothes and a mouthwatering breakfast of what looked to be eggs benedict and orange juice. God, did they have a chef on site? What exactly was going on in that kitchen? Once she'd finished breakfast, she got changed into a pair of dark pants and a dark shirt, it looked almost like what they wore underneath their tactical gear.

After she had changed, she drummed her fingers on her thighs as she paced the room. She was almost going stir-crazy in the cramped space. Nothing to do but think. Think about how scared she was, how worried she was, how much she wanted to be home. Home with Bucky. Her breath hitched in her throat as she thought of him. Did he know she was okay? Well, as okay as it was to be held captive by a long lost brother. She wished she could see him, talk to him, let him know that she was unharmed and alive.

Was he unharmed? Was he _alive_? She felt herself shudder. She didn't know what to think. Anything could be going on out there and she was oblivious to it all. She was trapped here, with no way of knowing where she was or how she could get out. She whirled as she heard the door unlock again, opening to reveal the same man that had always brought her things. She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time.

He was bald, but not from age. He was tan, and quite buff, with a stern expression. He must have been mid-forties, maybe close to fifty, but he looked good for his age. He also looked like he could kill her with his pinky.

"Antoni wants to see you. I will bring you to the lab now." He stepped out, holding the door open for her. She curled her toes, bare feet cold against the rough cement.

"I get to leave?" She stepped forward hesitantly.

"Just this room." he beckoned for her to come out. She padded over to him, and he led shut the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. She was in a dimly lit concrete hallway, plain, with doors that were similar to hers on all sides. It must have been some sort of prison area. She took a step towards one side, thinking they would be going up the stairs at the end of the hall, but he halted her with a firm grip on her shoulder. "This way." he tugged her towards a set of stairs that went down, and her stomach sank to her feet.

"Because of course we have to go underground." she murmured.

"We are entirely underground, Miss Donatella." he gave her a sidelong glance, and she frowned.

"Super." she replied dryly. He gave a humorless chuckle and brought her further down into the HYDRA base, where it somehow got even darker. He stopped, showing her a door.

"Antoni is waiting for you." he explained, and made to leave.

"Wait!" she stopped him, holding her hands out. "What does… what does he want?" she tried to force her fear down into something untraceable, but her voice squeaked and she winced in embarrassment.

"Antoni would just like to show you your new space." he explained, his brow furrowed. "You will be the head of our new research team."

"I don't _want_ to be head of the research team." she frowned, shaking her head. She tried not to whine, but at this point she couldn't help it. She hesitated, glancing back at the door. It was either go in there and see her brother, or go back to her room and sit alone for hours on end.

"Miss Donatella, I would advise you to go inside. I would not like to make your brother mad." his eyes weren't stern, more like… worried.

"What's your name?" she asked as he made to leave again, stalling him for just one more moment.

"Victor, Miss Belucci." he replied with a respectful nod.

"Thanks for being nice to me, Vic." she smiled weakly, turning towards the door as he finally made his way back towards the stairs. She took a deep breath before pushing it open, shuddering at the sight of the room. There were… things, in giant tubes filled with gallons upon gallons of blue liquid. She wasn't sure if they could be counted as people anymore, mutations running rampant throughout their bodies. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling like a small little girl as she hurried past the awful sights.

"Ah, my dear sister. I'm glad you could join me." Antoni's smooth Italian greeted her from some sort of walkway above her.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" she demanded, her voice echoing in the expansive lab. She glared up at him as he smiled, flashing that shark-like grin at her again. He coiled up, like some sort of predator before springing off the walkway, jumping down in front of her. She jumped backwards, a startled gasp leaving her as she held herself tighter.

"I needed to show you what all of my effort has brought to life." he held his hand out, and she just stared at it, not trusting him enough to take it. He scoffed in annoyance and gripped her arm, yanking her towards one half of the room. She sighed in slight relief, thankfully there were no more bodies in tubes on this side.

"What is all of this?" she frowned when he stopped, glancing around at what appeared to be large computers.

"This is your purpose." he turned to her with a large grin, his teeth almost too white. "Mother and father's research has been sitting here, collecting dust. Nobody has been able to continue their work. But you," he reached out, brushing her cheek, "you will finish their greatest wish."

"What wish is that?" she flinched backwards from his touch. His grin turned into a grimace at her rejection of his affections, but he quickly recovered, turning to press a button and turn a key in a nearby computer.

"The first bionic superhumans. Enhanced, more-so than any super soldier serum could produce. Intelligent, brains completely human and yet given eidetic memory through artificial means. Completely brainwashed, essentially they're trained dogs, and yet able to make snap-decisions in order to complete missions." he explained as a panel in the floor opened, a cylindrical object sliding upwards into view. She gasped as she saw the frosted glass on the front of the metal tube. _There was someone in there_.

"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" she stuttered, hands shaking as she made out the outline of a figure inside of the tube.

"Piece him back together. Fix his programming."

"For _what_?" she asked, gripping her elbows to keep herself from shaking.

"We need him. To protect you, to keep you safe here." he turned to her, his grin eerie.

"So he's just supposed to be a bodyguard?" she spat, disdain dripping from her tone.

"Oh, of _course_ not. We need him for something much bigger." Antoni explained. She looked over the tube again, peering closer to see if she could recognize anything about the person. It was fruitless, there was no way she could see through the iced glass.

"What's that?" she asked, glancing towards her brother.

"Well, eventually that hodgepodge team of so-called heroes will come for you. I plan to be waiting here, with him and maybe more bionics like him. And we'll destroy them once and for all. This is the Warrior." his eyes glinted with malice.

"What on _earth_ makes you think I'd help you kill my family?" she seethed, crossing her arms even tighter over her chest. His lips turned into a sneer.

"_I _am your family!" he shouted, voice reverberating over the metal. "And if you don't do this then you're abandoning me! You're abandoning our parents!" his voice was shrill, the smooth tone he'd used before being replaced by a sharp shriek. She flinched, stumbling backwards and away from his insane tantrum. He turned towards the bank of computers again, fists clenched, but he took a few deep breaths and let out a calm sigh, his posture relaxing as he pressed another button. "If you don't do what I say," he turned with that same grin again, "I will _never_ let you out of here."

"I refuse." she replied bluntly. He snarled, striding over to the pod and pressing a few buttons on the front.

"You can't refuse. I'm not coming back for you until he's fixed." there was a hissing noise coming from the container, and her stomach dropped when she realized _it was opening_. Holy shit she was gonna die. She scrambled backwards, pressing her back against the bank of computers furthest from the pod.

"W-who controls him? What if he kills me?" she stammered, searching around for a button to put the man back on ice.

"He won't kill you. I've programmed you as his mission before I brought you down here. He is not to harm you." he explained, stepping back with a glint in his eye as the chamber slowly thawed. "He will only harm those that are not a part of this facility." he strode in the direction of the door, leaving her cowering in the corner.

"Wait! How am I supposed to fix him?" she cried out, and he paused, turning with a grin.

"His pieces are here." he commented before exiting the lab, the door locking loudly behind him, reinforcing the fact that she was stuck in there until he came to get her. As if on cue, a table slid out from the wall, containing robotic pieces that were obviously meant to go on a human body. She wondered why no one had finished working on the bionic man, it seemed that everything was done, just assembly had to be completed.

A few minutes later she got her answer. A low groan came from the pod, and she stepped backwards, keeping her distance. She could only see part of the way inside, there was a missing arm for sure, which was something she definitely had experience with. She could probably fix him quickly, but she didn't want to be a part of _anything _that could hurt her loved ones.

"I'm ready." the voice rasped out, clearly rusty from disuse. She flinched, not moving from her spot. It was silent for a moment before there was a rustling noise, and a shadow appeared before he exited his container.

The sight was… horrific to say the least. Large parts of him were burned, others shriveled, and a few pieces were missing. A horrible mismatch of skin and metal covered his body, one eye bulging and red, the other black glass that locked on her immediately. He quickly halted, his one hand made up of both flesh and metal reaching up to grab the top of his head. He yanked it, a loud pop escaping as he pushed his neck back into place. She nearly threw up at the noise, her eyes shutting as she dropped into a crouch. She didn't want to look at it anymore. Loud, metallic thuds rang through the room as he stepped closer. It was obvious his body was rejecting the numerous transplants. Oozing, weeping wounds covered him, red and angry.

"Oh my god." she whimpered, nearly a whisper as she curled in on herself.

"I'm ready." he repeated as the footsteps stopped, and she opened her eyes, arms wrapped tightly around her knees as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

"I-I don't want to." she whimpered, staring up into his glassy black eye. He cocked his head to the side in confusion before crouching down before her. He got closer, and she could see the mottled patches of metal laid over red, scarred flesh. She pressed her lips together to keep herself from screaming. She'd seen a lot of things in her lifetime, but she'd never seen such terrifying craftsmanship, with complete disregard to appearance and pain. There was no way he wasn't in immense agony from his upgrades, she could see places where the skin was inflamed from rejecting the metal.

"I do not understand. I am ready, doctor." he repeated. She shuddered at his voice, mostly human but a hint of something… off.

"S-step back." she asked, pressing her face into her knees. There was a rustle before she heard footsteps going back towards the center of the room. She looked up then, peeking over the tops of her knees at him. He was standing there, staring at her, waiting for her to fix him. But she wouldn't. She could see his nose was gone, and one of his ears, as well as a foot, he walked on some sort of temporary peg. She shuddered, averting her gaze. What had _happened_ to him? That didn't look like anything any doctor would ever do to a living being… was this HYDRA? Was this what they did to people? Was he a willing subject, or was he like Bucky, brought back from the brink of death to fulfill some sort of awful role?

"I am ready for assembly, doctor." he said again, and she frowned.

"I-I'm not your doctor. I'm not going to fix you." she replied hotly, trying to hold back her emotions. This was a nightmare to her.

"I am meant to protect you. I cannot do so in this condition." was his response. She grimaced.

"The only person I need protection from is my insane brother." she snarled. He blinked, then gave a sharp nod.

"Once you have fixed me I will protect you from Antoni Belucci." she blinked at his blunt response.

"W-what?" she asked timidly.

"My programming is to keep you from any person who threatens your safety." he replied. She bit her lip as she processed this. Would it be that easy? Sic her new bionic friend on Antoni and escape?

"So you would stop him… from getting to me?" she asked weakly.

"I will stop anyone that threatens you." he said.

"What about the Avengers? If they come to rescue me from here?" Donatella was very interested in the conversation at this point.

"You are not to leave this compound. It is for your own safety. Anyone who tries to take you from this building is a threat." he replied, and she held back a groan.

"What if I try to leave on my own?" she asked conspiratorially.

"I am to detain you." she frowned at this. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

"Why should I fix you if you're going to stop me from leaving?" she frowned. "Just being here is a threat to my safety, isn't that some sort of paradox? Can you process that?"

"Anything I am unable to process I am to make a decision on using experience. In my experience, this place is safer than the outside world, where both of your parents fled to and were killed." she flinched at the blunt explanation.

"Thanks for that." She replied dryly, slowly standing. "So you'll keep my brother away from me, right?" She clarified.

"Antoni Belucci appears to make you feel unsafe. I am programmed to keep you safe, therefore he will not be allowed near you."

"What's your name, anyways?" She asked, taking a hesitant step forwards. He thought before replying.

"My name before the procedure was Thomas. Now I am called Experiment Eight-Five-Zero-"

"Okay okay, I'm not gonna call you that. I think I'll call you… Arnold." She grinned. "Like Schwartzenneger, you know, the terminator?"

"I understand the reference."

"Good to know, Arnie." She stepped over to the table, picking up a few metal plates that seemed to fit over parts of his body. She took a deep breath, trying not to shake. "Shall we begin?"

….

The days passed by between her and Arnie quickly. She asked him questions about HYDRA, and he'd answer to the best of his abilities. She was locked in her room again, but she at least had entertainment, and Antoni couldn't come near her or even speak with her while Arnold was around.

She told him about Bucky, and how much she wished to go home, or even just see him again. Arnold confessed that he felt sorry that they couldn't see each other, but it was "for her own safety". She hoped that she could coax him into helping her escape, but so far he hadn't been amused by her attempts. He'd actually grabbed her by the collar and yanked her back into the room at one point, much to her displeasure.

But it was better than being around her insane brother. He'd made attempts to see her, honest to god _wailing_ at her about how much he loved her and wanted her to come out and see him. She refused. Victor came a lot, and she had a soft spot in her heart for the man. He didn't talk with them much, but he was nice, and didn't seem to like her brother all that much, which gave him points in her book.

One afternoon he'd brought her lunch, as well as a note from her brother that he held with disdain as he handed it to her.

"What is it?" She frowned down at it.

"I think it's a dinner invitation, he wants to have a meal with you." Vic frowned.

"Fat chance that'll happen." She muttered, pulling it open to skim over the invite. "Yeah, you can tell him that Arnie won't let me go."

"I figured." He gave a small smile and turned to leave.

"Hey, Victor." She stopped him. He turned to her with an inquisitive look, their conversations rarely lasted longer than the time it took for him to deliver her meals.

"Yes, Miss Donatella?"

"Why do you work for him if you don't like him?" She asked. He paused, clearly thinking it over.

"My family has been a part of HYDRA for four generations. We almost were destroyed last year by the Asset. This is all I've ever known. And Antoni brought us back up from the ashes." He admitted, his eyes dimming with an emotion she couldn't pinpoint. "I have nothing else but this." He shook his head, giving a quiet goodbye as he left. She pursed her lips, beginning her meal.

"Why don't you need to eat?" she asked her bionic companion, who mostly stood on the opposite side of the small room, giving her space to do her own thing most of the time.

"It is just the way that I am built. My energy comes from a personal source within my chest, but I do possess the capability to eat. There is just no purpose to it." he replied. She had gotten over her unease with him very quickly, and was very comfortable with him at this point. He had given her no reason to be wary of him, other than his appearance, but she knew that wasn't his fault.

The people that had made him that way, her parents... _they_ were the monsters in the equation. Not him, nothing he had done caused him to become this… thing. She felt pity for him. He wasn't human, wasn't android, he teetered on the edge of the unknown, a perfect mutt that didn't have a place in the world. And she felt for him. Those monsters had ruined him. This was all he had.

In a way, she was frightened for her own well-being because of him. She was being difficult, even though she had no idea how many people were hostile here. She felt like if she tried to run off, Victor wouldn't stop her. But was everyone in the compound the same as him? It didn't seem as if any of the people liked Antoni and working under him.

All she knew was that she wanted to go home. No, not _wanted_. She _had_ to. Being here was sucking away her soul, she felt drained, felt like a husk of someone else. She hadn't been there long, but there was something about where she was that was absolutely killing her inside.

"Donnie," Arnold began speaking, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I've noticed over the past few days that you have been distant a lot."

"I'm just thinking about home." she admitted, pushing her empty tray aside. He closed his eyes, reopening them and settling his gaze on her.

"What is it like?" his voice was softer than she thought possible.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He rarely asked questions, so she was intrigued by his sudden interest.

"To have a home, a family… I do not remember having those things. What is it like?" her heart sank. Had he ever had a home, a family? Or was he born in these labs, like her brother, experimented on his whole life?

"It's better than anything you could imagine." she sighed, shaking her head as she curled her knees back up to her chest. "It's like… there's always someone to welcome you back. No matter what you've done, no matter where you've been… they'll always accept you. They're your greatest strength but your biggest weakness."

"I do not understand." he frowned. "How can a strength be a weakness?"

"I'd do anything for Bucky. Legal or illegal. I ran away with him once, to hide him from the authorities, from HYDRA… it was wonderful, that was when we first got together." she let out a soft chuckle. "I miss it there, we had such a good time in Bucharest. But we were criminals. I became a criminal to be with him." Donatella admitted. "He made me feel so powerful, so alive… but he also made me do things that weren't good for me in the long run. I lost my internship that I worked my ass off for, and that was how I ended up at Stark industries."

"And you still love Bucky, even though you are apart?" he asked.

"More than anything." she confessed, plucking at a stray thread on her bedsheet. "I would do anything to get back to him. I feel lost without him, like I lost a piece of myself… I felt like this for a long time once before, but it was much worse then." she shook her head. "He had to leave me behind. It was like he was dead, nobody knew where he was or how to get him back except for Steve, but Bucky… he hadn't wanted to be found. So I had to let him go for awhile."

"Was that hard?"

"It was like dying." she replied emotionlessly. "It was like… I can't even explain how much pain I was in. I was always cold, I never felt good, there was no comfort in anything… I could distract myself with work, with my friends, I made some very close friendships during that time. At one point, I'd hoped that I would never have to see him again, just to spare myself from more pain. But when I found him…" her words shook as she choked at the memory. "I was angry, sad, _confused_ most of all because it was like coming home, and he was so ready for me to be back with him, but I couldn't. I had completely lost myself, but all I could remember was _him_. And, eventually, I realized I wouldn't feel right again without him."

"And now you're apart again." he said softly. She gave him a weak smile before sighing.

"Yeah."

"I want to help you get home." she jolted upright at his words.

"W-what?" she stammered.

"I want you to be happy. I think that you are like family to me. I have feelings, I think." he confessed. "I want you to go home. I want you to see Bucky. I do not want to see you sad. It… hurts."

"Arnie…" she was shocked, she didn't know what to say. "I think you're like family to me too." she gave a soft smile.

"It has to be tonight."

"Pardon?" she frowned, confused.

"My plan revolves around dinner with your brother. I have a plan, and it has to be tonight, otherwise I am not sure of the next best time to try is. I will summon Victor, just stay here and wait. I will get you home, even if it is the last thing that I do."

"Arnie, thank you." she smiled, her chest filling up with hope for the first time since waking up in the room.

"If family is anything like you explained it to me, then I know that this is the right thing to do."

**Arnie is a character that I wrestled with myself trying to introduce. I didn't know if I liked this character, but in the end I made the decision that he was important to this storyline. It's a bit of a trope, I know, to introduce more super-soldier-esque characters. But this isn't the MCU, this is MY universe, so I'll do as I please. Thanks so much for all of your love and support, I'm struggling to write the end of this series, but there's still one more book in this for all of you. I hope you all enjoy!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Runaway (U & I)**

"My dear sister, I have missed you so much. I can't believe that awful mutt kept you locked up like a common prisoner." Antoni's smooth Italian greeted her as she entered some sort of dining room. It was gaudy, but she shouldn't have been surprised. He'd sent over "dinner attire" for her, which consisted of a frilly pink dress that was _way_ too young for her and a pair of white Mary Janes.

It was like he thought she was still a little girl. She realized that he _wanted_ her to be a little girl, she was his little sister. He'd lost twenty years of her life, of his own life, and he was trying to make up for that by creating his own little perfect world. She pitied him, she really did. But at this point in time, all she wanted was to get the hell out of there.

"Well, Arnold just does what he thinks is best for me." she countered smoothly as she slid into the seat opposite him. The table was set with fine China, and she almost grimaced at it. Whose blood paid for all this shit? Rich Nazis were the worst, honestly.

"I wish you wouldn't name the thing. It's hideous, a shame that mother and father made him that way." Antoni commented.

"Well, they made you the way you are, so are you really quite so surprised?" she sneered, taking a sip from her wine glass. She pursed her lips in annoyance. "Is this _grape juice_? I'm twenty-five, for god's sake." she scoffed.

"My little sister shouldn't be drinking." he ignored her first comment in order to chastise her, sipping from his own glass that was definitely red wine.

"Why did you ask me here?" she moved on from her previous thoughts, pressing him for information before Arnie signalled her to go.

"I wanted to see my dear sister." he replied easily. She balled her hands into fists, keeping her hands under the table to keep him from seeing her rings. Victor had given them to her, just in case something went wrong. She made sure to keep them off until she would need them.

"You barely know me, you don't even like me. Why did you bring me here? Why kidnap me in the first place, why not try to, I don't know, introduce yourself to me through normal means?" she asked, wanting to at least know that before she escaped.

"Oh, Donatella." he breathed, pushing his wine to the side as his eyes roved over her face, sorrow shining clear in them. "My dear sister, it is because I love you. We may not get along, but the same blood runs through our veins." he reached out, pressing his fingertips to her cheek. She flinched, but didn't back down, meeting his eyes with ferocity.

"That doesn't explain this whole hostage-situation that you put me in." she seethed.

"That was of your own making." he pulled back, rolling his eyes. "If you would only cooperate with me, I could let you out from there. We must begin our army soon, I have reason to believe your precious Avengers have come close to finding us." his lip curled in a sneer, and she tried not to let her excitement show.

"What makes you say that?" she tried to be nonchalant, but she wanted to know.

"Your _lover_ took out a squadron of Agents a few towns over, he's on the hunt for you."

"He's alone?" she asked, her heart leaping into her throat. God, was he _stupid_? Running around, trying to get himself killed.

"He's been one step ahead of the rest of the team, they come for cleanup when he's done. He was trained much too well, we may be able to tame the Asset once again." he smirked. "We could bring him here. But I would never allow him near you, oh no." he chuckled, sipping his wine again.

"And what makes you say that?" she seethed, clenching her fists again.

"Because that _monster_ has no place being around my precious sister." any pity she had for him dissolved when he called him a monster.

"Bucky isn't a monster. He's the same as you, if you'll remember." she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, no, I'm no brainwashed dog. I'm all human, he's an experiment. He's nothing." he nearly growled as he thought of the Winter Soldier. She pursed her lips, unimpressed by her brother the hypocrite.

"Our parents experimented on him the same as they did on you." she reminded him.

"Our parents loved me. Loved us. They didn't love that thing, he was their greatest struggle. I thrived in the lab, he sank, was nearly impossible to control. They had to torture him for countless hours, they wiped his memory more times than I can count." he waved his hand through the air during his explanation, and her mouth soured.

"They did those awful things. Not him. They forced him to do those things, they were the monsters, they made Arnold the way that he is, they caused _so much suffering_, Antoni, why can't you get that through your thick skull?" she nearly shouted, holding herself down by gripping the sides of her chair.

"They were not monsters." he replied coolly. "They did great things in the name of science."

"No, Antoni, they tortured people, killed people. That's what they raised you to do, too." she frowned.

"They made me a part of their mission." he grit his teeth, his eyes flashing with anger as he spoke to her. "You need to understand that they did all of this for us. You could live like a queen here. All of these subjects here could be yours. You could rule the world. I know that you could."

"Antoni, the fact that you don't know me at all is really shining through right now." she sighed closing her eyes. "That is absolutely the _last_ thing that I would want."

"Of course not! I thought you were ready, you were creating these things and selling them to the world, creating a name for yourself-_you_ have done so much, don't you want the recognition you deserve? You should be above everyone, you _are_ above everyone!" he insisted, and she felt her shoulders tighten.

"I'm not doing what I do for the recognition." she felt her brows furrow. "I'm doing it because it's right. You wouldn't know what the right thing to do was if it slapped you in the face." she grimaced. He looked furious.

"Nobody does anything without looking for worship in return." he seethed.

"You're wrong!" she shouted. "You're so wrong, you don't know _anything_ about the real world, Antoni. You're a lab rat. You were never meant to be a leader, you were meant to be a weapon that could be put away on a whim and only brought out when they needed you. You need to stop thinking that this is what you were meant to be, because your intended purpose was nothing like this."

"Shut up." he spat. "Shut _up_. You are not the sister I know, you are not the person I've dreamed of all my life. You wear her face, but you are an imposter, you _disgust me_. You _will_ do what I say." he stood, towering over her. She suddenly felt very scared. He'd never threatened to hurt her before, but now… all the cards were off the table. She leaped off the chair, scrambling backwards. This would be a great time for Arnie to enter, but unfortunately it didn't seem like he would be coming soon enough. She activated her rings, a low buzzing filling the room.

"Get back." she warned, holding her hands up defensively. He bared his teeth, lunging towards her. She screamed, pressing her palms against his chest and shoving him backwards, energy thrusting from the rings and aiding her. But his size and strength helped him get back up quickly, and she stumbled back, holding her hands up again.

"If you won't do what I say," He panted, stalking forwards, "then I have no choice."

"What are you doing?" She shouted as he lunged at her again, his hands wrapping around her biceps, holding her in place. He breathed in her face, breath reeking of sour wine. She bit her tongue as she shoved against him, but his solid chest was absorbing the blasts from her rings. Metallic blood filled her mouth as she panicked, his grip bruising as he leered down at her.

"I'm making sure you can't leave." One of his hands released her arm, and she immediately lashed out at him, but when his hand closed around her throat she panicked, thrashing uncontrollably in an attempt to get out of his grip. His other hand reached up to join the other at her neck, squeezing tightly. "You'll never leave me."

She felt her windpipe constricting completely, lungs burning for oxygen. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and she felt her movements slow as her vision began to go black. Her mouth moved, jaw gnashing as she tried to gasp for air, but nothing slipped through his fingers, and she felt herself weakening.

His eyes were ablaze with cold fury, his face impassive otherwise, and she shoved against his chest once more, his grip loosening as he grunted, letting some air slip into her lungs before he tightened his grip once more. She caught a second wind, and she slammed her hands up to the sides of his head, feeling pulse after pulse of high-velocity energy hit him point blank at each temple. His eyes rolled back, she saw the blood vessels burst in his eyes as his hands slipped off of her.

He fell to his knees, slumping forwards for a moment as she gasped for air, clutching at her raw throat. His body thudded against the floor as he fell, his eyes staring up at her, unseeing. Oh god. Oh god, she killed someone. She killed her own _brother_. He was dead.

She killed him with her own two hands. She felt herself shaking. She glanced down at her hands, expecting to see a stain of blood smeared over them. Donatella saw nothing on them, no sign that she'd just murdered a man. Her fingers shook, and she clasped them together, disarming the rings as she fell to her knees, a broken sob escaping her lips.

Her throat screamed at her as the hiccuping cries bubbles up through her, but she couldn't stop. She gripped her neck, pressing her cool hands against the heated flesh. She had killed someone. Her brother was dead because of her. She hadn't even thought twice about it, she put the pulses directly up to his head and didn't stop until the life had left his eyes.

It didn't matter that he was trying to suffocate her. Nothing mattered. The only thing that mattered was that someone was dead because of her actions. She barely noticed the alarm sounding above her head, barely heard the running footsteps approaching her.

She didn't even feel it when the cold metal arm wrapped around her. Didn't notice the familiar lips brush against her temple. Donatella didn't even realize she was being picked up and carried away.

The only thing she saw were those bloodshot eyes staring up at her from the floor. The purple, bruised face. The charred marks at the sides of his temples, singeing the hair.

She killed a man. And she could never take it back.

Those familiar arms carried her somewhere, and she felt her anxiety begin to melt away as she got further from her brother.

"Donatella, can you hear me?" She heard a voice ask. She had been set down somewhere, and her throat hurt.

"Bucky?" She croaked out. The world was blurry, or was it just her eyes? She couldn't tell. A face swam in her vision. "Where did you come from?" she could only focus on those blue puppy dog eyes.

"I just got here, I made it down to this level. Sweetheart, what happened? What's going on here?" He smoothed his metal hand over her cheek, and she melted into his touch. She felt completely lost, like she wasn't even in her body, but she could respond to him. She always would. She could never forget his touch, his voice, the feel of _him_. Just him next to her, the way he said her name, the way he spoke to her, looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the entire universe.

"It's cold. I was so lonely." She felt tears on her cheek.

"I think you're in shock, Don." Another voice came from above her. There were some quiet murmurs before the voice spoke again. "We're gonna get you out of here, okay?"

"Arnie!" She blurted out, finally focusing. "Where's Arnie?"

"Sweetheart, who's Arnie?" Bucky asked in a calm voice, but his eyes shone with confusion. She could taste the salt from her tears as she licked her lips, and she glanced around.

"He's been helping me, He was a HYDRA experiment… he was going to help me escape. But now he's gone, where is Arnie?" Her voice was rapidly degrading, becoming more hoarse with each syllable.

"I'll go look for him, can you tell me what he looks like?" She recognized Steve's voice. She took in a ragged breath, her throat screaming at her to be silent, but she had to know. She couldn't leave him behind.

"Donatella, I am here." she heard his voice, and her head whipped towards his direction. Almost immediately, Steve lurched at him threateningly, but she called out weakly for him to stop.

"It's Arnie." she coughed, attempting to stagger to her feet. The robotic man walked into the room, the dim lighting making him hazy in her vision, but she could still see the horrific burns and mangled flesh around his metallic plates. Steve's face was clearly concerned, uncomfortable, and a bit grossed out. Bucky gripped her waist tightly, hoisting her into his arms and lifting her, her weak knees not doing a great job of keeping her upright.

"What happened, where is Antoni? You were supposed to wait for my signal." Arnie shook his head, coming forward with a concerned look on his face.

"We're gonna have to wait on that story, we have to get out of here. Are you okay if I move you, sweetheart?" Bucky cooed down to her, and she nodded gently, wincing at the pain that burst from her neck. He rested her head on his shoulder and tried to keep her as stable as possible. Just the feeling of his arms around her caused all of the stress and tension to leech from her body, and she felt herself relaxing in his hold. Her head lolled onto his shoulder as her body became boneless, she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. "Hey, Donnie, stay with me." Bucky's voice was slightly panicked, but she couldn't help it at that point. She was out cold within a few minutes.

Her dreams were awful. Antoni's face haunted her, the anger draining from his expression and leaving behind that cold, dead look. The purple bruises around his red, bloodshot eyes. It was horrible, over and over it was like his life force melted before her eyes. Because she _killed_ him. There was nothing else to it. She had killed her own brother.

"_You can never leave me_." his voice snarled at her continuously. He was looming over her, his face changing between life and death so quickly it made her nauseas. It must have been hours later before she woke up again. She blinked, nearly sobbing with relief when she saw it was her own roof above her head. She was in her own bed, with the sheets that smelled warm and sweet, a bit like Bucky as well. She gripped the blanket and pulled it up over her shoulders, holding herself in that spot for a couple of minutes before sitting up.

"Hey! Lay down!" a wonderfully familiar voice startled her. She turned, tears filling her eyes as Bucky's frame entered the room. Her gaze raked over him, his hair a bit mussed up, scruff forming over his face. His mouth was slightly upturned on one side, he was smirking at her in the way that she loved most. She felt a whimper escape her as she flopped back down, her limbs felt weak as tears streamed down her face. He was at her side in a second, hand smoothing over her hair as he shushed her. "Everythings okay, sweetheart, everything is fine. I promise, I'm here, nothing bad will happen." he cooed.

"It hurts." she winced at the pain in her neck, her voice completely garbled.

"I know, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Do you need anything? Some water? Tea?" he whispered, fingers raking gently through her hair. She relished in the sensation for a moment, the feeling of his soft skin against hers, the sight of his beautiful face hovering over hers.

"I just want you. It's always you." she croaked out, her awful voice probably ruining the sentiment she was trying to convey, but his blue eyes softened as he looked down at her.

"You're it for me too, doll, don't ever forget it." he gave her a sloping grin. She leaned up, eyes fluttering closed as she brushed her lips gently across his. He responded fiercely, fingers gripping her hair tightly as they kissed.

"Can you all stop with the making out for two seconds? We've got stuff to figure out." a voice called from the living room, and Bucky groaned, a scowl coming over his face.

"Sam is here." she commented with a small chuckle. "What a cockblock." she muttered, struggling to sit up, wiping nearly dried tears from her cheeks.

"Here, let me help." he gently lifted her into a sitting position, stuffing some pillows behind her back for good measure, and making sure to adjust the collar of her robe.

"Did you change me?" she glanced over herself, realizing she was completely nude underneath.

"Well, that dress was cute, but it was very…" he trailed off, waving his hands with a frown.

"It was very much made for a ten year old." she finished for him with a small smirk. "Antoni had a few loose screws." she said casually, trying not to think about his lifeless expression.

"That's something we need to talk about." he frowned. "We still aren't sure exactly what happened, why they took you."

"Arnie didn't tell you guys?" she croaked out, settling into a more comfortable position.

"Not… exactly. He's been refusing to talk until he can see you again, he's not exactly sure what happened before we showed up as well. He said something about not being awake when you got there? You're the only one with the whole story, doll."

"He hasn't said anything about himself, either?" she frowned.

"I know who he is." Bucky sighed. "He's The Warrior. He was… your parents creation."

"I know, Buck." she frowned. "There's a lot that I found out while I was there…" she rubbed her hand absentmindedly over her sore neck. "You should bring everyone in so I can tell everyone what went on down there."

"We're coming in!" Sam must have been listening outside the door because he waltzed in as soon as she had finished talking. He was pulling a chair from the dining room table along with him, and in followed Natasha, Steve, and Tony.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?" Tony scolded her, and she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Um, why are you acting like it was my fault that HYDRA kidnapped me?" the corners of her mouth turned down, and he gave a huff, looking to Bucky.

"Well, I know you wouldn't let me blame Barnes for it. I mean really, who uses an ex-HYDRA assassin's girlfriend as a hostage? Uninspired." he scoffed.

"They didn't want Bucky, actually." she revealed, trying to figure out the best way to breach the subject. "Where is Arnold?" she asked, suddenly distracted by his absence.

"He's in the lab getting checked over. Now, please elaborate?" Tony raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"Well… I guess it's kinda complicated. Tony, do you remember the man that I thought looked very… concerning?" she asked. Tony gave a slight nod.

"We saw him, he was there when they took you. As soon as they had you it was like everyone else backed off, they all scattered. Now we know it's because you're what they wanted all along, not Barnes." Tony commented, raking his hand through his hair. Bucky was seated on the edge of the bed, their fingers intertwined, and he gave her hand a slight squeeze, encouraging her to continue.

"Well, when I got there I didn't really know what was going on at first. They treated me pretty well, but I was locked in a room for a while before anyone came to see me. After a while a guard brought me food, he was really nice actually. His name is Victor, if anyone was wondering." she pursed her lips, and Natasha gave a slight roll of her eyes.

"You're rambling." Natasha commented dryly.

"Right, right…" she chuckled sheepishly. "This is just… it's still surprising, even to me." Don sucked in a deep breath as Bucky squeezed her hand again. "So, I got there, and then Victor brought in the man that I mentioned before. He sat down, and started talking to me…"

"Can you get to it?" Tony interrupted, and Steve shot him a look.

"Tony, hold your horses, she just got back from being kidnapped." Sam rolled his eyes.

"He told me he was my brother." she revealed quietly. Bucky's eyes widened and he swiveled to look at her.

"But he was lying, right?" Tony stood suddenly, concern shining deep in his eyes. She shook her head.

"No. When I was there, I realized why I had been so concerned about him… when I was younger, there was an… incident." she explained quietly.

"What kind of incident?" Steve asked quizzically.

"When I was younger, there was a man who had tried to take me from school. I probably had nightmares every night for years after that. It turned out to be him, my own brother just wanted to be able to see me, but our parents didn't want me around that type of life it seemed." she averted her eyes, tracing her fingers over patterns on the sheets.

"He tried to _kidnap_ you once before? How old were you?" Tony demanded, pacing the room. "This man… I swear if I ever get my hands on him-"

"He's dead." she cut him off, her voice sounding hollow even to her own ears. Everyone stopped to look at her, Bucky's eyes shining with sorrow. He somehow knew already, even before she said anything. "I killed him. When I was escaping, he did this to me," she gestured to her mottled neck, everyone wincing at the sight, "and I killed him to get away."

"Donnie…" Steve stood, a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"It's fine." she lied through gritted teeth. God, it sucked to feel this way. They had all killed before, many times in certain cases, and here she was, acting like it was a big deal. But it _was_ a big deal, especially to her. She was a doctor, she took an oath to protect life, and she'd gone and killed somebody.

"But why did he try and take you in the first place? He's a soldier, what did he want you for?" Natasha pressed.

"He wanted a family. He was put on ice for twenty years, and he came out to find that our parents were dead." she explained, glancing at Bucky, guilt clawing at her chest as she saw him tense up. "All he had left was me, even though our parents wouldn't let him near me. So he took me, and he knew that you would all be coming for me, so he took Arnie out to help get rid of you all so he could rebuild HYDRA and keep me as his little puppet." she sneered. "He was a bit too ambitious, I guess."

"But then, what, you befriended the cyborg and it blew up in your brother's face?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." she sighed. Natasha eyed her, obviously scrutinizing her as she laid there prone in front of the group.

"I think we should go now. We have more information now, and Donatella needs to rest." Nat called out, standing and ushering the men out while shooting a half-smile at the girl on the bed. Donatella mouthed a thank you to her. The two women had gained a sort of kinship over the past few months, occasionally grabbing lunch. They led two very different lives, but they found that there were a lot of similarities between them.

Bucky gave a relieved sigh once he heard the front door close behind the group, the apartment now completely silent.

"They drove me nuts while you were gone. You know how many times Peter texted me? It was a nightmare." he turned with a joking smile, but it quickly faded as he saw her expression. She was trying to hold it back, but tears were filling her eyes rapidly, dropping down her cheeks.

"I killed someone, Buck." she croaked. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her, and she finally felt _safe_.

There was nothing that she needed more than just being in his arms now.

And she would make sure she never left them again.

**End of Part Two**

**Sorry it took me so long to post this! I've been a bit busy these last few weeks and I'm still working on the end of part three. I'm struggling to conclude things in the way that I wan't, so I'm going to wait a bit longer to post the last part. I don't want to put anything up that's half-assed, so I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long. I'm giving a short preview in **

**3**

**2**

**1...**

Chapter One: come out and play

_She was struggling, a lot, to come to terms with what had happened. She gained a brother, and a few days later she had lost him by her own actions. It was really hard for her to feel okay with, and she wasn't quite sure if she would ever be the same afterwards. Bucky, of course, had been extremely patient and helpful with her mental state. He was able to speak from experience with most things, but didn't force her to think any certain way, actually letting her muddle through her emotions on her own._

_It honestly made her fall in love with him a little more, she'd given even more of herself to him. And he offered up the same, sharing hushed stories and confessions that made her weep for him, for what he'd gone through. She told him more of what had happened, how she felt after taking a life, and he was so understanding, so concerned, yet he gave her as much space as she needed. He was always there when she needed him, always knew exactly what to say, what to do. Bucky gave her affection when she needed it, craved it, a shoulder to cry on, a strong, sturdy pillar in her fogged up daze of pain and confusion. She felt like the rest of the world was just out of her grasp, but he was always there, a steady beacon to pull her out of that hazy place and bring her back into real life. _

_They had more time to focus on their relationship, and actually discussed their future. He confessed that he wanted to get married and have kids, he craved that normalcy, the escape from his fucked up life. They still weren't sure if he was sterile or not, but they decided they wouldn't go to find out until they were ready to think about kids, which wouldn't be for a while yet, not until they managed to get their feet under them after the shock of her kidnapping. And she told him that she was nervous that she would be a terrible parent, just like her own had been. He understood, but he refused to let her believe that she could ever be like her parents. He reminded her of who raised her, how wonderful of a person Janita was, and he looked so sure of what he was saying that she believed him. If she could ever be even a little bit like her adoptive mother, she would be happy._

_Bucky just wanted her to be happy._

**EDIT: THE FINAL PART OF THIS SERIES IS NOW UP, TITLED "THE MOST" make sure you go and look for it on my page! Thanks for all of the love and support on this series so far!**


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